Farm Bill dairy policy debate to continue in February
Check out DPAC's Side-by-Side comparison of two different directions for future dairy policy: One with supply management and one without supply management.
The Senate and House Ag Committees expect to take up the 2012 Farm Bill in February. Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) has been quoted in the press to say that his legislation -- the Dairy Security Act of 2011 -- has "widespread support."
Peterson noted in a recent interview that IDFA is the only group against his bill. The dairy producers of the Dairy Policy Action Coalition (DPAC) would beg to differ.
Peterson's Dairy Security Act (DSA) has reportedly been modified to make it "more appealing to small producers," but the details of any changes to the bill are being kept secret.
Furthermore, the DSA is not the only dairy bill on the table. Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) introduced the Dairy Advancement Act in October of 2011. This bill contains key elements of DPAC's Cornerstones for Change.
DPAC has received feedback on the Senate's Dairy Advancement Act (DAA), and is working other dairy producer groups, the Risk Management Agency (USDA RMA), and staff for key members of Congress to come up with a companion bill in the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, DPAC has available a Side-by-Side comparison of the two different legislative directions for future dairy policy in the 2012 Farm Bill:
On the one side of the comparison is the Dairy Security Act (H.R. 3062) introduced Sept. 23 by Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho); and the DSA bill language which was also included in Section D of the REFRESH Act introduced Oct. 4 by Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.).
On the other side of the comparison is a different approach to dairy policy reform as introduced on October 12 by Sen. Robert Casey, Jr. (D-Pa.: the Dairy Advancement Act (S. 1682).
Please take time to read the Side-by-Side Comparison of the Dairy Advancement Act (supported by DPAC and containing key portions of DPAC's Cornerstones for Change) and the Dairy Security Act (supported by NMPF and containing the cooperatives' Foundation for the Future as amended).
If you agree with DPAC's common sense proposals in the Dairy Advancement Act, please take time to contact your Senators and Representatives and provide a copy of the side-by-side comparison and ask them to sign on as co-sponsors to Senate Bill 1682 -- the Dairy Advancement Act -- to show their support for this fresh, grassroots approach to dairy reform.
Read the side-by-side comparison linked here... talk to your friends and neighbors... and contact your members of Congress to let them know what you think.
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