Make Congress Hear Our Rally Cries! Pass a Farm Bill Now!

Have you ever wondered why the House has failed to bring a farm bill to the floor? Today, House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson gave a simple, direct answer during the Farm Bill Now rally held on Capitol Hill this week.

Noting that the House still has time to pass this key legislation he stated, “we just need the pressure on.”

Peterson explained that, unlike in previous years, members of the House have not seen the groundswell of support for a farm bill that drives action. Describing the rally as a “good starting point,” he called upon farmers to call their representatives in the House and vigorously urge immediate action.

Peterson concluded by declaring that spurring the House to action would require around 100 to 200 calls from people in every district with an interest in agriculture. Given that the sector provides 1 out of every 12 American jobs, support for a farm bill should be strong. Now, it must be active.

In his speech, the House member issued an ominous warning about farmer inaction saying, “if you don’t do that, we’re not going to get a farm bill.”

With only a few precious days remaining before Congress heads home and the 2008 Farm Bill expires, farmers, ranchers, those who work in agriculture and anyone interested in our nation’s food security must act now. The National Corn Growers Association and the Farm Bill Now! coalition offer online tools to make taking the crucial step of contacting your House representation simple and fast.

To use the valuable tools offered by NCGA, click here. To sign the Farm Bill Now! online petition and contact your House member through social media, click here.

Our entire system of representative government depends upon an active electorate who makes sure that the men and women they send to Washington act on their behalf. We elect them. We pay their salaries. Now, we must make sure that they represent us by passing the farm bill legislation that our nation needs in 2012.