NACIA Washington Update
April 16, 2009

As Congress finishes their Easter/Passover recess back in the districts, hopefully you have had a chance to meet with your Representative or Senator. It is always important for your leaders in Washington to hear about the importance of the crop insurance program from their constituents.
 
While life here in Washington does not seem as exciting as being a Navy Seal rescuing hostages from pirates, it has still had its moments over the past few days. When Congress returns on Tuesday, the big ticket item on the agenda will be the conference on the budget resolution. Debate will ensue as to whether to include reconciliation language for healthcare reform, education, cap and trade legislation, or any of the other priorities of President Obama and the leaders in Congress. Also at stake is whether or not the $350 million in cuts to crop insurance program contained in the Senate version will remain and become part of the conference agreement. While the budget resolution is non-binding, it is very important as it provides a guide for Congressional spending, identifies priorities, and points out funding sources. 

Also next week shortly after Congress returns, the House Agriculture Committee is holding a crop insurance hearing, currently scheduled for April 22 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern. The title of the hearing is “To review farmers’ views on the effectiveness and operations of the Federal crop insurance program.”  If you would like to listen or watch the hearing, you can do so by visiting the House Agriculture Committee webpage. NACIA will be attending the hearing, and will report back to you following its conclusion.
 
While this week has been calm for Congress, USDA has continued its quest in filling positions. This week Secretary Vilsack has announced several new Deputy Under Secretary nominations, as well as staff appointments: 
 
Nominations:

• Michael T. Scuse as USDA's Deputy Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services – Domestic Programs.  RMA and the crop insurance program would fall under this classification.  Details.
• Burnham John "Bud" Philbrook as USDA's Deputy Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services – International Programs. Details.
• Janey Thornton as Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. Details.
• Cheryl Cook as Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development. Details.

Staff:

• Doug O'Brien as Chief of Staff to Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. Details.
• Fourteen staff appointments in the Offices of the Secretary, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service, Food Nutrition, and Consumer Services, marketing and Regulatory Programs, Natural Resources and the Environment, and Rural Development. Details.

Also of interest is a recent roundtable discussion that Secretary Vilsack held regarding the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). Details regarding the discussion can be found here. Reportedly, the roundtable discussion is the first event in a listening tour intended to solicit feedback and input regarding the continued development of the NAIS to reach animal identification and traceability objectives. In addition, APHIS plans to issue a Federal Register notice soliciting comments. You may want to let any of your clients that may be interested of this opportunity for their opinions on NAIS to be heard. 

We also wanted to direct your attention to a recently released report done by USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) entitled, “Economic Aspects of Revenue-Based Commodity Support.” This report discusses producer interest in revenue-based commodity support programs, such as the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program created in the 2008 Farm Bill.  These programs provide support in return for reductions and eliminations of payments under currently existing programs, such as the crop insurance program. You can obtain the report on the ERS website.

It is essential that NACIA has a strong, unified voice in Washington to speak for agents and the program, as we look ahead to the many challenges in the 111th Congress, including hearings, inquiries, GAO Reports, budget cuts, and others looking for funding sources for their projects. Your support is vital to our mission, so please send in your check or visit our membership page to pay online through our secure website. When paying, please be sure to enter the email addresses for all agents in your firm.

We hope that you view NACIA as an extension of your voice as an agent. In this vein, it is essential that we communicate. Please contact us with questions or suggestions, letting us know your thoughts and ideas on the program, and if you can be more involved in the protection of crop insurance and those this vital program serves. 
 
Brent W. Gattis
NACIA Washington Representative

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