National Association of Crop Insurance Agents

NACIA Washington Update
August 6, 2009

One half of our bi-cameral legislature has left town, and Washington is noticeably quieter. The House Members went back to their districts on Friday, July 31, and Senators will head back to their home states tomorrow. August recess, or “District Work Period,” presents a perfect opportunity for crop insurance agents to meet with your Representative or Senator and engage in some grassroots lobbying. Unfortunately, not very many of those in Washington understand the crop insurance program and the great benefits it brings to our nation’s farmers and ranchers. That is part of the reason the crop insurance program is so often targeted when Members or Senators go hunting for funding streams for their pet projects. NACIA has been working hard here in Washington to educate and change that lack of knowledge, but it is vital that you also do your part back in the district and home state. As a voter and a local business person, your voice carries weight with elected officials. So please communicate with your Representative or Senator this month, and don’t let the opportunity slip by. Whether it be in a public or private meeting, a reception, a town hall meeting, or in the local coffee shop, it is important to get the point across. If you would like to find out your Senator’s and Representative’s August schedule, please contact their district offices. The contact information can be found on each person’s website. Click on the following links, and select your Representative or Senator from the list: House and Senate.

While the House has shut down, this week the Senate continued Senator Baucus’s bi-partisan health care negotiations, and even found time to pass the fiscal year 2010 agriculture appropriations bill. This bill funds virtually all USDA programs and the Food and Drug Administration. It was considered on Tuesday evening, and was passed by a vote of 80 - 17. There were potentially nearly 400 amendments to the bill, but most of them were not offered. If you would like to see how your senator voted, please click here. Next steps: the bill will go to a House-Senate conference committee when Congress resumes session after Labor Day to resolve differences between this bill and the version passed by the House last month. The Senate appointed Senators Kohl, Harkin, Dorgan, Feinstein, Durbin, Johnson, Nelson (NE), Reed, Pryor, Specter, Inouye, Brownback, Bennett, Cochran, Bond, McConnell, Collins, and Shelby as conferees. The House has not yet appointed conferees, and usually waits until immediately before the first formal meeting of the conference committee to make the appointments. In the meantime, House and Senate Agriculture Appropriation Subcommittee staffs will be working to identify and resolve as many differences as possible before the conferees meet to complete action on the bill.

Even though all Hill activity pretty much shuts down this month, USDA does not go into recess. A few recent items of interest:

The information from last weeks FCIC board meeting has been posted. To see the Manager’s Report and other related documents from the meeting, please click here.
As we have continually mentioned, there is a significant amount of stimulus funding available to small and rural business owners through USDA. This week the availability of individual grants ranging from $30,000 to $50,000 awarded on a competitive basis. There is a total of $6.25 million available through the Rural Community Development Initiative program. Details.
In addition to the grants, rural and small business loans are available. USDA is now accepting applications for loans “to fund projects that help spur business activity and economic growth in rural communities.” For loan examples, more information, and to learn how to apply, click here.

If you have not paid your dues please submit online through the secure NACIA website or print out the membership renewal form and mail in your check.Your support is vital to insure that the interests of crop insurance agents are heard by decision-makers in Washington.

As always, if you have any questions or comments please contact us.

Brent W. Gattis
NACIA Washington Representative

Kathy Fowler, NACIA President, 110 North 6th Street, P.O. Box 368, Memphis, TX 79245
phone: 806-259-1842, toll free: 877-390-9862, toll free fax: 800-848-3216
email: info@nacia.org, web: www.nacia.org
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