To all League members:

As the US Congress begins its work in the post-election legislative session, it is vital that they hear from Oregon’s wheat growers about the importance of acting on a new five-year Farm Bill before the end of 2012. Your personal calls, emails, and letters are a critically important signal from their constituents that we must have action on the Farm Bill now.

This email includes contact information for each member of our delegation and a few suggested comments that reflect the priorities of the Oregon Wheat Growers League. You are welcome to use these points in your contacts.

The National Association of Wheat Growers is mounting and coordinating this call for action on a new Farm Bill. I hope you will take a few minutes to join with growers from across the country to let Congress know how important it is to get this done now. Please contact all the members of OR’s delegation.

Thanks for your help,

Blake Rowe

CEO, Oregon Wheat Growers League

Key Comments to Raise in Your Contacts to Congressmen/women

  • We need the new 5-year Farm Bill passed now!!
  • Compromise will be needed to pass a new Farm Bill. We believe that program reductions must be fair and should be spread across all programs, including farm support and nutrition programs.
  • Our highest priority in terms of farm support programs, is to maintain and improve the crop insurance program. We understand that direct payments programs, ACRE, and SURE may be severely curtailed or eliminated in order to reach a compromise bill that can pass in both the Senate and the House.
  • The 2008 Farm Bill has already expired. Key programs, including some conservation programs, the Foreign Market Development and Market Access Programs, are already inactive for lack of funding or authority. These are impacting Oregon’s wheat growers, our markets, and our customers. Delaying action on a bill into next year will make these impacts worse.
  • There is no reason to delay action on a new Farm Bill into next year. The budget baseline is likely to be worse next year and will likely result in further cuts to important programs. Developing a new bill next year will likely cause more delays and create more market uncertainty and impacts for individual farmers.

Contact Information for Oregon’s Senators
Sen. Jeffery A. Merkley (D)
District: 0S2
United States Senate
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington,DC20510
Phone: (202) 224-3753
Fax: (202) 228-3997
Ag Liaison: Adrian Deveny
E-Mail:
WebSite:
E-Mail:
Sen. Ron Wyden (D)
District: 0S1
United States Senate
221 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington,DC20510-3703
Phone: (202) 224-5244
Fax: (202) 228-2717
Ag Liaison: Michele Miranda
E-Mail:
WebSite:
E-Mail:

Contact Information for Oregon’s Representatives

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D)
District: 003
U.S. House of Representatives
1502 Longworth House Office Building
Washington,DC20515-0001
Phone: (202) 225-4811
Fax: (202) 225-8941
Ag Liaison: Ms. Tyler Frisbee
E-Mail:
WebSite:
E-Mail:
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D)
District: 001
U.S. House of Representative
2338 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington,DC20515-3701
Phone: (202) 225-0855
Fax: (202) 225-9497
Ag Liaison: Eric Ffitch
E-Mail:
WebSite:
E-Mail:
Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D)
District: 004
U.S. House of Representatives
2134 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington,DC20515-0001
Phone: (202) 225-6416
Fax: (202) 226-3493
Ag Liaison: Megan Debates
E-Mail:
WebSite:
E-Mail:
Rep. Kurt Schrader (D)
District: 005
U.S. House of Representatives
314 Cannon House Office Building
Washington,DC20515
Phone: (202) 225-5711
Fax: (202) 225-5699
Ag Liaison: Chris Huckleberry
E-Mail:
WebSite:
E-Mail:
Rep. Greg P. Walden (R)
District: 002
U.S. House of Representatives
2182 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington,DC20515-0001
Phone: (202) 225-6730
Fax: (202) 225-5774
Ag Liaison: Nathan Rea
E-Mail:
WebSite:
E-Mail: