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LARSON SUPPORTS REFORM IN AMERICA?S AGRICULTURE POLICY

July 27, 2007
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:July 27, 2007

LARSON SUPPORTS REFORM IN AMERICA?S AGRICULTURE POLICY

WASHINGTON, D.C. ? U.S. Congressman John B. Larson (CT-1) today voted for a new direction in America?s agriculture policy. The Farm, Nutrition and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (H.R. 2419) was passed by a vote of 213 to 191 in the U.S. House of Representatives.

?The Farm Bill we passed today will protect family farmers in Connecticut and across the nation,? stated Larson. ?It represents true reform by ending subsidies to millionaires and increasing transparency. For too long, farmers in the Northeast have been shortchanged by federal farm policy. However, for the first time ever, this Farm Bill provides assistance in the amount of $1.6 billion for the specialty crops grown here in Connecticut and across New England.

?I?m also pleased to see that this bill makes key investments in renewable fuels that will help end our dependence on foreign oil. It also strengthens conservation programs and encourages cooperation between USDA and producers to deliver conservation programs.

?Not only does this bill help produce the food that we eat, it helps put that food on the table of American families by enhancing the food stamp program. No family in this day and age should have to worry about going hungry.

?This bill is the product of the hard work of many, but I would especially like to thank Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) for leading the most open Farm Bill drafting process in more than a decade. All of America?s farming interests are represented in this bill, not just those of the wealthiest few.?

The Farm Bill, which is renewed about every five years, authorizes federal farm support, food assistance, agriculture trade, rural development and conservation policies.

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Issues:Economy