Yesterday, Farm Bill conferees met for the first time to craft the final version of the Farm Bill that will go before the full Congress for a vote. This has been a process that has taken more than two years, so it’s critical all bird hunters contact the conferees listed below urging final passage of a Farm Bill immediately. Failure to pass a Farm Bill by year’s end would be devastating to wildlife and hunter access.
“If a Farm Bill doesn’t pass by year’s end critical programs like CRP and WRP will remain unavailable,” explained Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever’s vice president of government affairs.
Nomsen continued, “we saw the power of our collective voice as hunters earlier this month when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service re-opened Waterfowl Production Areas during the government shutdown. Today, it’s even more critical for all of us to raise those voices. The future of our hunting heritage hangs in the balance. It may seem like I’m over-stating the severity of the situation, but I am not. This is zero-hour for pheasants, quail, ducks, deer, turkeys, America’s water quality and hunter access.”
The following components are critical to Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s support of a new Farm Bill:
Conservation Compliance connected to crop insurance
National Sodsaver to protect our country’s last remaining native prairies
A Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) with a minimum 25 million acre baseline
A 5-year Farm Bill
The list below is the full roster of Farm Bill conferees. If you live within the districts of these individuals, it’s imperative they hear your voice as a hunter and conservationist urging for strong conservation policy in a new Farm Bill. Follow this link to Contact your elected officials. Thank you for standing up for America’s sportsmen and women!
Farm Bill Conferees
Senate Republicans:
Ranking Member Thad Cochran, R-Miss.
Pat Roberts, R-Kan.
Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.
John Boozman, R-Ark.
John Hoeven, R-N.D.
Senate Democrats:
Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
Tom Harkin, D-Iowa
Max Baucus, D-Mont.
Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio
Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
Michael Bennet, D-Colo.
House Republicans:
Frank Lucas/Chair, R-Okla.
Randy Neugebauer, R-Texas
Mike Rogers, R-Ala.
Mike Conaway, R-Texas
Glenn Thompson, R-Pa.
Austin Scott, R-Ga.
Rick Crawford, R-Ark.
Martha Roby, R-Ala.
Kristi Noem, R-S.D.
Jeff Denham, R-Calif.
Rodney Davis, R-Ill.
Steve Southerland, R-Fla.
Ed Royce, R-Calif.
Tom Marino, R-Pa.
Dave Camp, R-Mich.
Sam Johnson, R-Texas
House Democrats:
Collin Peterson/Ranking Member, D-Minn.
Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio –Appointed by Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, to represent leadership in conference
Mike McIntyre, D-N.C.
Jim Costa, D-Calif.
Timothy Walz, D-Minn.
Kurt Shcrader, D-Ore.
Jim McGovern, D-Mass.
Suzan DelBene, D-Wash.
Gloria Negrete McLeod, D-Calif.
Filemon Vela, D-Texas
Eliot Engel, D-N.Y.
Sander Levin, D-Mich.