For Immediate Release

July 11, 2012

Contact: Steve Ellis

202-­‐546-­‐8500 x126

Taxpayer and Environmental Groups Endorse Flake-Chaffetz Crop Insurance Reform Legislation

The following is a written statement by Taxpayers for Common Sense, Environmental Working Group, Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, Americans for Tax Reform, Taxpayers Protection Alliance and National Taxpayers Union on H.R. 6098, “The Crop Insurance Subsidy Reform Act”

Washington, DC – We strongly support H.R. 6098, the Crop Insurance Subsidy Reform Act introduced today by Representatives Flake (R-AZ) and Chaffetz (R-UT), which would reduce crop insurance premium subsidies to the levels set before the Agriculture Risk Protection Act of 2000.

These lawmakers should be commended for proposing a common sense first step to reining in the wasteful and unnecessary subsidies in the federal crop insurance program. Whether you are concerned about lavish subsidies encouraging production in environmentally sensitive lands or wasting billions of dollars a year, this legislation moves agriculture policy in the right direction. The Crop Insurance Subsidy Reform Act has the potential to save $4 billion a year, which is in stark contrast to the House Agriculture Committee draft farm bill which actually expands the crop insurance program. Simply put, scaling back excessive subsidies that are no longer needed would save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars over the years while still providing a robust safety net for America’s farmers. Bringing subsidy rates to more reasonable levels will encourage innovation in the private insurance market. Rather than expanding crop insurance subsidies and creating new “shallow loss” entitlement programs, Congress should adopt the Crop Insurance Subsidy Reform Act.

 
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Taxpayers for Common Sense is an independent and nonpartisan voice for taxpayers, working to increase transparency and expose and eliminate wasteful and corrupt subsidies, earmarks, and corporate welfare. For more information, visit: www.taxpayer.net