Senate Ag Committee Meets Tomorrow

Tomorrow, the US Senate Ag Committee, which includes Minnesota Senators Coleman and Klobuchar, will meet to hear the committee chair’s 2007 Farm Bill markup – setting the course for agriculture and trade policy for years to come.

Your action is urgently needed. Let Senators Klobuchar and Coleman know how important a meaningfully Farm Bill reform is to you, and ask your friends to to do the same.

Oxfam America has set up a toll-free 800 number:

1. Please call 1-800-977-1912
2. An automated message will give you a brief introduction.
3. When prompted, press 630403# to be connected to Senator Coleman’s office.
4. Hang up and call Senator Klobuchar using the toll free number and code 630404#
5. To reach any other senator, simply press #.

Be sure to tell the staff member who answers the phone that you are a constituent and that you want your US Senator to vote in support of Farm Bill reform that reduces trade-distorting subsidies for commodities such as cotton. Tell them that these subsidies lead to excess production, reducing world market prices and undercutting the poor in developing nations who depend on agriculture to survive.

It will only take a minute. A few well-placed calls from people like you can help the world’s poorest farmers. Please call today and forward this action alert to friends and family. Remember, an opportunity to reform the Farm Bill comes only once every 5 years. Stay tuned as the Farm Bill moves to the Senate floor.

Other Farm Bill news:
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, New Farm Bill: Fresher Foods
DesMoines Register, The World Needs a Visionary US Farm Bill
Wall Street Journal, The Corporate Welfare Congress