This is the latest news I have on NAIS. I wanted to share, & we still need to fight this until it is dropped completely.
On Friday, the House voted to approve the 2007 Farm Bill. The final language of the bill
did NOT include NAIS, so we won this round!!! The Agriculture Committee and
Representatives received many phone calls and faxes from people opposed to NAIS, and they
responded by taking out the language that linked NAIS to Country of Origin Labeling.
THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to call and write.
This is a great step forward. But there are still several battles coming up. The House
will probably vote on the Agriculture Appropriations Bill early this week. The
Appropriations Committee Report includes:
* No new funding for NAIS until USDA provides a "complete and detailed strategic
plan for the program, including tangible outcomes, measurable goals, specific milestones,
and necessary resources for the entire program."
* $1.98 million for a cooperative agreement with the Wisconsin Livestock Identification
Consortium, which supports NAIS
* $594,000 for the Farm Animal Identification and Records (FAIR) program
The lack of new funding specifically for NAIS is a good step! But it doesn't look like
Congress has really gotten the message that we want funding for NAIS stopped, and having a
detailed USDA plan will not change that fact. And funding the Wisconsin Consortium and
FAIR programs will continue to push the program ahead with federal funding.
No amendments have been filed yet, but it is possible that an amendment will be offered to
completely strip NAIS funding. It's also possible that the other side will get an
amendment introduced to add unconditional funding back in.
The Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill has also been reported out of Committee, with a
recommendation for continued funding for NAIS, but less funding than in previous years.
No date has been set yet for the Senate vote.
If you haven't called your Congressman and Senators about NAIS recently, do it now! Go to
http://www.house.gov/writerep/ and http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm . Or call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or toll-free 877-851-6437.
Jean
On Friday, the House voted to approve the 2007 Farm Bill. The final language of the bill
did NOT include NAIS, so we won this round!!! The Agriculture Committee and
Representatives received many phone calls and faxes from people opposed to NAIS, and they
responded by taking out the language that linked NAIS to Country of Origin Labeling.
THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to call and write.
This is a great step forward. But there are still several battles coming up. The House
will probably vote on the Agriculture Appropriations Bill early this week. The
Appropriations Committee Report includes:
* No new funding for NAIS until USDA provides a "complete and detailed strategic
plan for the program, including tangible outcomes, measurable goals, specific milestones,
and necessary resources for the entire program."
* $1.98 million for a cooperative agreement with the Wisconsin Livestock Identification
Consortium, which supports NAIS
* $594,000 for the Farm Animal Identification and Records (FAIR) program
The lack of new funding specifically for NAIS is a good step! But it doesn't look like
Congress has really gotten the message that we want funding for NAIS stopped, and having a
detailed USDA plan will not change that fact. And funding the Wisconsin Consortium and
FAIR programs will continue to push the program ahead with federal funding.
No amendments have been filed yet, but it is possible that an amendment will be offered to
completely strip NAIS funding. It's also possible that the other side will get an
amendment introduced to add unconditional funding back in.
The Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill has also been reported out of Committee, with a
recommendation for continued funding for NAIS, but less funding than in previous years.
No date has been set yet for the Senate vote.
If you haven't called your Congressman and Senators about NAIS recently, do it now! Go to
http://www.house.gov/writerep/ and http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm . Or call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or toll-free 877-851-6437.
Jean
