Daily Archives: 12/27/2012

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Pass the Farm Bill


Tell Congress to Pass a Healthy Farm Bill
Farmers growing healthy food items such as organic milk often face hurdles that others do not. Congress is past overdue in passing legislation that would address these imbalances. Tell Congress you want a Farm Bill that invests in organic dairy & healthy-food farmers, NOW!

A Farm Bill for Organic Dairy & Healthy-Food Farmers

Imagine this: billions of taxpayer dollars support the production of unhealthy processed foods and sugary drinks, while farmers supplying healthier items such as organic milk are overlooked or even penalized. Worse, despite an overdue and ticking timeline, Congress is sitting on its hands instead of passing legislation to address these imbalances.

Sound like a bad dream? Unfortunately, it’s reality—but it doesn’t have to be.

Recent reports from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) showed how smarter agriculture policies can help farmers grow more of the healthy fruits and vegetables we need and boost local economies along the way. Now, a new UCS study, Cream of the Crop: The Economic Benefits of Organic Dairy Farms, reveals that public investment in organic dairy farmers would pay off in multiple ways. In addition to producing a healthier product and safeguarding the environment, organic dairy farms generate greater economic opportunity and more jobs in rural communities compared with conventional dairies.

But current agriculture policy favors big polluting CAFOs (confined animal feed operations) over organic dairy farms. And because Congress has failed to act on the now-overdue 2012 Farm Bill—the 5-year legislative package that shapes U.S. agriculture—the limited programs that currently help organic dairy farmers are at risk.

We can change this, but we need quick action. Tell Congress: pass a Farm Bill—one that calls for investments in organic dairies and other healthy-food farmers—NOW.

Sincerely, Ashley Elles Ashley Elles National Field Organizer UCS Food and Environment Program

Black History

CONGRESS: the Republican led House :::: the Senate Dems


capitolsnowclosed

the Senate Convenes: 10:00amET December 27,2012

  • Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will begin consideration of H.R.5949, FISA Reauthorization, at which point Senator Wyden will be recognized.
  • The next roll call vote will be at 5:30pm on Thursday, December 27th in relation to the FISA bill or the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill.

The Senate has begun consideration of H.R.5949, FISA Reauthorization. Under the previous order, there will be up to 7 hours for debate on the bill and 30 minutes equally divided on each of the amendments listed below.

– Leahy (Judiciary committee reported substitute);

– Merkley (declassification of FISA court opinions);

– Paul (4th Amendment – searches/seizures); and

– Wyden (public reporting);

Upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate will proceed to votes in relation to the amendments in the order listed. Upon disposition of the amendments, the bill will be read a third time and the Senate will proceed to vote on passage of the bill, as amended, if amended.

In addition to the FISA extension, we could also consider amendments to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill today, as provided for under a previous order. As you may recall, cloture on the Supplemental was invoked last week and we reached a further agreement to limit amendments that are in order to the Supplemental.

Senators should expect a series of votes to begin at 5:30pm tonight in relation to the FISA extension and possibly amendments to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill.

Senate-designate Brian Schatz will be sworn in as senator (HI) at 2:30pm today.

At 5:30pm tonight, the Senate will proceed to a series of up to 3 roll call votes in relation to the following amendments to H.R.5949, FISA:

–       Leahy #3437 (substitute);

–       Merkley #3534 (declassification of FISA court opinions); and

–       Paul #3436 (searches and seizures).

There will be 2 minutes for debate between each vote. All votes after the first vote will be 10 minutes in duration. When the Senate convenes tomorrow, there will be 30 minutes for debate prior to a vote in relation to the Wyden amendment (public reporting) and passage of H.R.5949, as amended, if amended. Under the previous order, the amendments and passage of the FISA bill are subject to 60 affirmative vote thresholds.

Senator Reid has asked senators with amendments to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill to call up and debate their amendments tonight so that we can begin voting on the amendments tomorrow.

5:34pm The Senate began a roll call vote on Leahy amendment #3427 (substitute);

Not Agreed To: 38-52

6:07pm The Senate began a roll call vote on Merkley amendment #3435 (declassification of FISA reports);

Not Agreed To: 37-54

6:27pm The Senate began a roll call vote on Paul amendment #3436 (searches-seizures);

Not Agreed To: 12-79

The Senate has resumed consideration of H.R.1, the legislative vehicle for the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill.

The Cardin amendment #3393 and the Tester amendment #3350 are pending.

Senator Mikulski announced her intention to have the following additional amendments made pending this evening:

– Senator Landrieu to be recognized for up to two minutes to call up her amendment #3415;

– Senator Coburn to be recognized for up to 30 minutes to call up his amendments #3368, #3369, #3370, as modified, #3371, #3382 and #3383;

– Senator Merkley to be recognized for up to five minutes to call up his amendment #3367;

– Senator Mikulski to be recognized for up to two minutes to call up on behalf of Senator Leahy amendment #3403 and on behalf of Senator Harkin amendment #3426.

The following amendments are pending to H.R.1, the legislative vehicle for the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill:

The following amendments have been considered to H.R.1:

On Friday, December 28, when the Senate resumes consideration of H.R.1, the Emergency Supplemental (upon disposition of FISA bill), the Senate will proceed to votes in relation to the amendments to the bill, under the previous order. All remaining time under the previous order with respect to the amendments will be yielded back. There will be two minutes equally divided prior to each vote with the exception of the following:

– 4 minutes equally divided prior to each of the votes in relation to the Coburn amendments and divisions;

– 10 minutes equally divided prior to the votes in relation to each of the Paul amendments;

– 8 minutes equally divided prior to the vote in relation to the McCain amendment #3355; and

– 10 minutes equally divided prior to the vote in relation to the Lee amendment.

That all other provisions of the previous order remain in effect.

As a reminder, under the previous order the following amendments are in order to the Supplemental:

– Cardin #3393 (surety bonds);

– Grassley #3348 (DOJ – vehicles);

– Feinstein #3421 (Army Corps projects), as modified with changes at the desk;

– Harkin #3426 (technical – grants);

– Landrieu #3415 (emergency reimbursement);

– Leahy #3403 (U.S. embassy security);

– McCain #3384 (Amtrak), as modified with changes at the desk;

– Bingaman #3344 (Palau);

– Coburn #3368 (cost sharing – Army Corps);

– Coburn #3369 (notification triggers);

– Coburn #3370, as modified and with two divisions – delinquent tax debts and fisheries);

– Coburn #3371 (severe disasters);

– Coburn #3382 (Merit based recovery contracts);

– Coburn #3383 (strike certain studies – Army Corps);

– Tester #3350 (Fire management);

– Paul #3376 (Non-application of Davis-Bacon);

– Paul #3410 (Offset)

– McCain #3355 (strike emergency forest restoration);

– Merkley #3367 (extend Agriculture disaster assistance programs), as modified;

– Lee #3373, as modified (special rules – retirement funds); and

– Coats #3391 (Republican alternative).

ROLL CALL VOTES

1) Adoption of the Leahy amendment #3437 to H.R.5949, the FISA Reauthorization Act; NOT ADOPTED: 38-52

2) Adoption of the Merkley amendment #3534; NOT ADOPTED: 37-54

3) Adoption of the Paul amendment #3436; NOT ADOPTED: 12-79

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Discharged the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee and passed the following:

–          H.R.2338, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 600 Florida Avenue in Cocoa, Florida, as the “Harry T. and Harriette Moore Post Office”.

–          H.R.3892, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 8771 Auburn Folsom Road in Roseville, California, as the “Lance Corporal Victor A. Dew Post Office.”

Passed the following postal naming bills, en bloc:

–          H.R.3869, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 600 East Capitol Avenue in Little Rock, Arkansas, as the “Sidney ‘Sid’ Sanders McMath Post Office Building”.

–          H.R.4389, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 19 East Merced Street in Fowler, California, as the “Cecil E. Bolt Post Office”.

–          H.R.6260, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 211 Hope Street in Mountain View, California, as the “Lieutenant Kenneth M. Ballard Memorial Post Office”.

–          H.R.6379, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6239 Savannah Highway in Ravenel, South Carolina, as the “Representative Curtis B. Inabinett, Sr. Post Office”.

–          H.R.6587, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 225 Simi Village Drive in Simi Valley, California, as the “Postal Inspector Terry Asbury Post Office Building”.

Discharged the Finance committee and Passed S.3667, A bill to rename section 219(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as the Kay Bailey Hutchison Spousal IRA.

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Watch Most Recent House Floor Activity

The next meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on December 27, 2012.