SENATE TO VOTE ON FARM BILL AND GIVEAWAYS TO BIG AG

Media Contacts
Nasima Hossain

Press Statement

U.S. PIRG

U.S. PIRG urges the Senate to vote NO on The Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 (S. 3240). This bill as it stands does not strongly tackle the problem of taxpayer’s money being used wastefully on agricultural subsidies and crop insurance programs. And subsidies will continue for corn and soy, which is then processed into junk food ingredients, like high fructose corn syrup, accelerating the obesity epidemic in America.”

“This bill will continue the current practice of disproportionately subsidizing the largest agribusinesses, who are already profitable and don’t need taxpayer handouts. Directing taxpayer dollars to these mature, profitable businesses enriches them and allows them to prosper at the expense of the American taxpayers who are footing the bill. The subsidies are heavily skewed towards the biggest players, with 74% of subsidies going to less than 4% of U.S. farmers. And since 1995, $17 billion taxpayer dollars have underwritten junk food ingredients.”

“This year’s Farm Bill is an unprecedented opportunity to end wasteful subsidies and align our food policy with agricultural policy.   The Senate’s Farm bill is flawed and does not do enough to end this wasteful use of taxpayer’s dollars and would create a costly new subsidy scheme that would lock in currently-high corn and soy prices and once again direct billions of taxpayer dollars to giant agribusinesses.”

As this legislation is voted on the floor today we urge Senators to stand with the public, not Big Ag and vote NO.