NEW FAR BIL MU H W RM LL UST HARVE SA EST AVING GS AN NO PL ND OT LANT N NEW E ENTIT MENTS TLEM S

May 23, 2 2012 Dear Sena ator: On behalf of the millio of membe represented by our orga f ons ers d anizations, we urge you to vote no on Th e he Agricultur Reform, Fo and Jobs Act of 2012 (Farm Bill). T bill barel makes a dent in the massive re ood The ly agricultur subsidy system and fails to decrease Washington outsized an outdated ro in America ral s nd ole an agricultur re. inesses are a testament to t skill, inge t the enuity, and pe ersistence of A Americans. W While many se ectors Farm busi continue t feel the eff to fects of the rec cession, Ame erican agricult ture is one of the few brigh spots in the f ht e economy. Net farm inc come is at $98 billion, near doubling b 8 rly between 2001 and 2011. Farm businesses 1 exported n nearly $140 billion worth o products, e b of exceeding imp ports of agric cultural produ by more t ucts than $37 billion. And its es stimated that o out of every 12 jobs is connected to agriculture. one s o Congress must take thi opportunity to reassess u is y unnecessary a complicat federal po and ted olicies that manipulat market dec te cisions in this critical and v vibrant compo onent of our e economy. Yet, the F Farm Bill fails to even mee the meager $30 billion deficit reductio target in th Presidents s et on he s fiscal year 2013 budge request, con r et ntaining a mer $23 billion in deficit red re n duction, squan ndering this opportuni The bill does eliminate some unnece ity. d e essary progra ams, like direc payments, c ct counter-cycli ical payments, and ACRE - a step that is long overdu But it then turns around and replaces them with n s ue. n d s new entitlemen programs to guarantee a nt t agricultural bu usiness profit such as Ag ts, gricultural Ris Coverage a sk and Crop Insu urance Supple emental Coverage Option. This is indefe ensible. Cong gress must not create any n t new

potentially budget-busting entitlement programs that would increase Washingtons role in farm business decisions while destroying the nascent private supplemental crop insurance industry. These new programs are not a safety net; theyre a springboard to guaranteed profits for agriculture at the cost of major annual drains on the treasury. The Farm Bill also fails to make meaningful reforms to the largest Washington-based support for agriculture, federally subsidized crop insurance. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates this programwhich provided $2.2 million in subsidies for just one agricultural producers insurance premiums in 2011will cost more than $90 billion over the next ten years. According to CBOs preliminary score of the Farm Bill, costs for federally subsidized crop insurance will actually increase $3 billion. We also oppose using the Farm Bill to undo recent progress on reducing misguided biofuels subsidies. Americas agricultural economy is strong. This strength and the glaring weakness of the federal budget $15 trillion in debt and trillion dollar deficits projected for the next decademake it essential that Washingtons role in agricultural policy be reformed. For more information, please contact Joshua Sewell of Taxpayers for Common Sense at 202-546-8500 x116, or josh@taxpayer.net. Sincerely, American Commitment Americans for Prosperity Americans for Tax Reform Competitive Enterprise Institute Council for Citizens Against Government Waste FreedomWorks Heritage Action for America R Street National Taxpayers Union Taxpayers for Common Sense Taxpayer Protection Alliance