Brown Amendment Vote Immediate
12/13/07

The amendment to the Farm Bill offered by Senator Brown is being debated now and expected to be voted on today. As we have stated before, the Brown amendment would destroy the crop insurance program.  We can defeat this amendment, but need a last minute push to get us over the top in this tough fight.  
 
Please call your Senators from VA NOW, and tell them to VOTE NO on  the Brown Amendment 3819.  

To obtain the contact information for your Senators, click on the following link: 
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Tell your Senator to vote NO on the Brown amendment for the following reasons:

• If enacted, the amendments would make such drastic cuts to A&O that the delivery system would be destroyed – as it stands right now the House and Senate bills both make cuts to A&O, and the current A&O doesn’t even cover delivery cost.  

• The amendments would increase government’s share of underwriting gains to a point which would destroy the private reinsurance market, and end the ability of the industry to use underwriting gains to subsidize delivery expenses not reimbursed by RMA, and especially delivery expenses to small farmers.

• The revival of PRP forces discrimination against smaller family farmers and makes crop insurance available only to the larger farmers with the largest premiums. PRP was eliminated in the House and Senate bills due to the fact that it is unworkable and discriminatory.

• Claims by amendment supporters state that the Brown Amendment stops industry “collusion.” Again, both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees rejected these statements and did not include this language in their bills.  Those bills continue to protect the well established ability of the crop insurance industry to confer with each other and together with RMA when renegotiating a SRA.
  

Brent W. Gattis
NACIA Washington Representative