Media Contacts
Lisa Ritland
Wasteful Subsidies to Big Ag Must Be Eliminated
CoPIRG
Statement by Lisa Ritland, Field Director for CoPIRG on the Farm Bill being voted down in the House.
“CoPIRG applauds Representatives Coffman, DeGette, Lamborn, Polis, and Perlmutter in voting down the Farm Bill. CoPIRG opposes the House Farm Bill (H.R. 1947). Like the Senate’s proposed Farm Bill, this legislation would keep the gravy train flowing for big agribusiness, locking in their unjustified corporate handouts for the next five years. With Congress focused on how to fix the budget, our elected leaders shouldn’t squander the opportunity to cut off these outrageous giveaways to Big Ag once and for all.
“The House rejected even modest amendments to reduce subsidies for the most profitable agribusinesses.
“This Farm Bill will continue the current practice of disproportionately subsidizing the largest agribusinesses, which are already profitable and don’t need taxpayer handouts. While the Big Ag lobby claims to stand up for small farmers, just 4 percent of agribusinesses eat up 74 percent of these subsidies, with more than 60 percent of farms never seeing a dime.
“Congress needs to make serious changes to this legislation or reject it entirely. Our elected leaders should stand up for taxpayers, not Big Ag.”