Washington, D.C. - The following is a statement by Ms. Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense Action (TCS Action) on the introduction by Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) of the “Farm, Ranch, Energy, Stewardship and Health (FRESH) Act of 2007”.
Section by Section Analysis of FRESH Act of 2007
TCS Action applauds Senators Lautenberg and Lugar, and the bill’s other bi-partisan cosponsors, for introducing the FRESH Act to begin the phase-out of Depression-era farm subsidies that have cost taxpayers billions.
The FRESH Act will yield approximately $20 billion in savings, $3 billion of which would be returned directly to taxpayers in the form of deficit reduction. The additional savings would be returned as well, in the form of better investments in conservation and nutrition programs.
The FRESH Act will provide a better farm safety net that helps farmers make decisions about how to plan and save for the future of their farming operations, and further, better aligns farm programs with market forces. These changes would also help to bring the United States closer to being in compliance with our World Trade Organization obligations, and increase our already substantial benefits from international trade in agricultural products.
Average farm income is about 20 percent higher than that of the average American. Senators Lautenberg and Lugar recognize that with record farm profits, now is the time for farm reform.
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