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Crop Insurance Administrative Policy Changes

Several administrative changes could be implemented to reduce taxpayer costs and limit the unintended consequences of federal crop insurance. ...

Golden Fleece Awarded to Risk Management Agency for Risking Taxpayer Dollars

Taxpayers for Common Sense awarded the Golden Fleece to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency for wasting taxpayer funds on risk management education for crops ranging from Christmas trees to turf grass....

Political Power of the Agribusiness and Crop Insurance Lobbies

The so-called Farm Bill currently being negotiated in Congress is shaping up to be another taxpayer-funded handout to wealthy landowners,...

Haves and Have-Nots in Federal Crop Insurance

Federally subsidized crop insurance has become the largest taxpayer support for agriculture. But not all parts of the agriculture...

Farm Bill 101

The Farm Bill is a massive piece of legislation that guides food and farm policy. It covers wide-ranging topics from rural broadband service to farm subsidy payments....

Agricultural Safety Net 101

The agricultural safety net refers to the various federal programs and policies that insulate agricultural producers from the costs of conducting business....

Green Scissors Campaign 101

A basic primer on the Green Scissors campaign and answers general questions about the history and goals of the coalition....

Sliding Past Sequestration: $2 Trillion in Common Sense Cuts to Avoid the Fiscal Cliff

In the summer of 2011, Congress sent the President a bill that acknowledged failure. Instead of swallowing hard and coming up with...

Record Drought Results in Record Profit

Special interests are always looking for a silver lining. This year, it’s the farm lobby and sympathetic politicians shamelessly taking...

With Agriculture Disaster Aid Congress Pays Now, Hopes to Save Later

Citing record drought conditions throughout the country, the House is debating today legislation to retroactively extend four...

Taxpayers Lose with More Unnecessary Farm Subsidy Layers

Federal farm programs are ripe for reform, especially those that lock in record high prices and guarantee farmers’ expected income. As...

Turning a Drought into a Fiscal Disaster

Politicians on both sides of the aisle are trying to take advantage of the drought crisis to foist a trillion-dollar farm bill on...

House Farm Bill Draft Analysis: Squanders Savings, Recycles Wasteful Ideas, and Creates New Subsidy Entitlement Programs

Yesterday, the House Agriculture Committee released its 2012 Farm Bill draft which eliminates some wasteful commodity programs but...

Senate’s New Way to Lock in Unlimited Farm Subsidies

On June 21, the Senate passed a few long-awaited reforms to the farm subsidy maze. Unfortunately, at the same time, they also increased...

Green Scissors 2012

Left-Right coalition identifies practical steps Congress could take to slash deficits, save natural resources....

Federal-Free Risk Management in Agriculture

Like all businesses, agricultural producers face a number of risks in maintaining a profitable enterprise. Successful management of these...

Senate Ag Committee: More is Less

(Originally published June 8, 2012) With debate on the 2012 Farm Bill underway on the Senate Floor, proponents of this nearly trillion...

Farm Safety Net Proposals that Fail to Save

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has released a report that will help you study up for this Wednesday’s Senate Farm Bill mark-up...

Government Report Reinforces Need to Harvest Savings in Crop Insurance

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released a report detailing the potential to save more than a billion dollars a year...

Crop Insurance: A Federal Cash Assurance Program

Federal crop insurance is a highly taxpayer subsidized program that allows agricultural producers to shift their business risk onto...

Cashing In: Biofuels Industry Buys Congress’s Continued Support

Taxpayers for Common Sense today released a report detailing the heavily subsidized biofuels industry's political clout. The biofuels...

Action Alert: Senate Set to Vote on Ethanol Amendment

It is time to end the wasteful tradition of subsidizing the corn ethanol industry. Taxpayers for Common Sense joined a diverse coalition of...

Common Sense Cuts

Taxpayers for Common Sense has been working hard to meet the challenge of that the so-called Super Committee is facing - $1.2-1.5...

Super Cuts for the Super Committee

Taxpayers for Common Sense has been working hard to meet the challenge of that the so-called Super Committee is facing - $.12-1.5...

Green Scissors 2011

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined environmental, consumer watchdog, and free-market groups today to release Green Scissors 2011, which...

The Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit: History and Current Policy

The Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) is the largest subsidy to corn ethanol, the most common biofuel in the U.S. The tax...

Common Sense Cuts—$900 billion in savings over 10 years

The time has come for Congress to begin a serious discussion about how it is going to correct the current budgetary path into deeper and...

TCS Budget Cut List for the 112th Congress: Agriculture

AGRICULTURE Total Cut: $110 billion Outdated and ineffective farm policies waste billions of federal funds each year, jeopardize...

TCS Recommended Budget Cuts for the 112th Congress

The time has come for Congress to begin a serious discussion about how it is going to correct the current budgetary path into deeper and...

Election Gives Big-Spending Congressional Committees New Look

The Armed Services Committees are not the only Congressional bodies to see their memberships upended by the midterm elections. The...

Green Scissors 2010

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined a number of environmental and consumer groups and a bipartisan slate of Representatives today in...

FY11 Budget Cuts Agriculture Waste

The President’s proposed FY2011 Department of Agriculture (USDA) budget is $25.8 billion, slightly reduced from the FY2010 level of $26.9...

GAO: More than $49 Million in Potentially Ineligible Farm Payments

Just months after a new multi-billion dollar five year farm bill was passed into law, a federal watchdog reports that individuals who are...

FY2009 Appropriations Bills: TCS Analyses and Earmark Databases

The following are links to TCS's analysis and database for each of the FY09 appropriations bills. (Note: With the exception of House...

Silos Full of Subsidies

Overview For over 70 years American taxpayers have been doling out billions of dollars every year to underwrite the agriculture sectors’...

TCS Agriculture Program

Taxpayers for Common Sense works with a broad range of groups to enact significant farm policy reform. With the farm bill up for...

TCS Statement on House Passage of Farm Bill Conference Report

Written Statement by Ms. Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense on the House passage of the farm bill conference report....

Oppose Farm Bill Conference Report

Dear Congressman, We urge you to vote no on the farm bill conference report, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 that is...

TCS Letter to Congress: Oppose Farm Bill Conference Report

Dear Congressman, We urge you to vote no on the farm bill conference report, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 that is...

Taxpayerand NTU Letter to the President: Veto the Farm Bill

  The Honorable George W. Bush President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, Congress...

Letter to the President: Veto the Farm Bill

The Honorable George W. Bush President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, Congress appears...

Letter to Congress: Minimize Farm Bill Harm

Support Congressmen Flake’s and Ryan’s Motions to Instruct Farm Bill Conferees Dear Representative, As the farm bill conference process...

Bush Administration Releases Proposal for Farm Bill Compromise

Below is a copy of the proposal reportedly put forth the by the Bush Administration over the weekend.  It’s hard to say whether this is...

Parameters of a Successful Farm Bill

The President’s response to House and Senate conference committee negotiators. The President proposed 13 potential offsets to pay for...

Letter to the President and Cogressional Leaders: Veto the Farm Bill

The Honorable George W. Bush President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, Congress appears...

Congressional Letter to House Leaders on Farm Bill Reform

February 2008 letter to House Speaker and Minority leader, and Agriculture Committee chairman and ranking member. Letter is from 14...

Letter to President urging farm bill veto

The Honorable George W. Bush President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, Congress appears...

Letter to Farm Bill Negotiators

February 2008 letter to House Speaker and Minority leader, and Agriculture Committee chairman and ranking member. This letter is from 14...

Coalition Letter Welcoming New Agriculture Commissioner

The Honorable Edward Schafer Secretary of Agriculture U.S. Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, DC...

Farm Bill Coalition Letter to Ag Secretary

February 6, 2008 The Honorable Edward Schafer Secretary of Agriculture U.S. Department of Agriculture   1400 Independence Avenue, S.W....

Golden Fleece Award

From surfing subsidies to the Great Wall of Bedford, Indiana, Wisconsin Senator William Proxmire’s Golden Fleece Award protected...

TCS Action Supports Farm Reform Legislation Offered in Senate

Washington, D.C. - The following is a statement by Ms. Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense Action (TCS Action)...

Crop Insurance and Disaster Assistance: 2007 Farm Bill Issues (CRS Report for Congress)

The federal government has relied primarily on two policy tools in recent years to help mitigate the financial losses experienced by crop...

TCS Statement On Partnership in Senate Farm Bill Campaign

Washington, D.C. – The following is a statement by Ms. Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS), on TCS’s...

FRESH Act Fact Sheet

The FRESH act introduced by Senators Lugar and Lautenberg, and co-sponsored by Senators Cardin, Menendez, Reed, Hatch, Collins and...

House Passes “Carbon Copy” Farm Bill

  For Immediate Release July 27, 2007 Contact:...

Letter to the House: Support Doggett Amendment to the Farm Bill

Dear Representative: Taxpayers for Common Sense Action (TCS Action) urges you to support Rep. Lloyd Doggett’s (D-TX) amendment to strike a...

Support Doggett Amendment to Strip Tobacco Subsidies from the Farm Bill

Dear Representative: Taxpayers for Common Sense Action (TCS Action) urges you to support Rep. Lloyd Doggett’s (D-TX) amendment to strike a...

Kind-Flake Legislation Brings the Farm Bill into the 21stCentury

Washington, D.C. – The following is a written statement by Ms. Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense, on the introduction...

Oppose Efforts to Increase Dairy Price Support Program

Dear Chairman Peterson and Ranking Member Goodlatte: During reauthorization of the 2007 Farm Bill, we strongly urge you to...

Testimony - Federal Crop Insurance Program

Testimony of Steve Ellis, Vice President, Taxpayers for Common Sense before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's hearing on...

U.S. Farm Policy: Blank Check Politics

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues outdated, depression-era farm subsidy policies that funnel billions of dollars to...

Letter to Budget Committees: Farm Subsidy Reform Begins with the Budget

Dear Budget Committee Member: Taxpayers for Common Sense Action (TCS Action), a nonpartisan, budget watchdog group, urges you to oppose...

Farm Subsidy Reform Begins with the Budget

Dear Budget Committee Member: Taxpayers for Common Sense Action (TCS Action), a nonpartisan, budget watchdog group, urges you to oppose any...

Bold Reform Needed in 2007 Farm Bill

Dear Member of Congress: Taxpayers for Common Sense Action, a nonpartisan, budget watchdog-group, urges you to support efforts to improve...

Stop the $6.5 Billion Farm Subsidy Handout

Dear Representative:   Taxpayers for Common Sense Action (TCS Action), a non-partisan budget watchdog, strongly urges you NOT to...

Cut Wasteful Spending in Emergency Supplemental Bill: Stop the $4 Billion Farm Subsidy Handout

Dear Speaker Hastert and Leader Pelosi: Earlier this month several Members of Congress sent you a letter supporting the inclusion of...

Support the Blumenauer-Flake Amendment to Reduce Sugar Subsidies and the Chabot-Brown Amendment to Cut the Market Access Program

Dear Representative: On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we urge you to support the following twoamendments to the Agriculture...

Support Amendments to Reign in Agriculture Appropriations’ Earmarks

Dear Representative:   Taxpayers for Common Sense Action urges you to support amendments from Representative Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and...

Oppose Farm Bill Extension in Budget Reconciliation

Letter to chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Budget Committees urging them not to include a farm bill extension in the...

TCS Statement on Senate Farm Subsidy Vote

Washington, D.C. – The following is a written statement by Jill Lancelot, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense, on the Senate refusal to...

Support Grassley-Dorgan Subsidy Reform Amendment

Dear Senator: Taxpayers for Common Sense Action (TCS Action) strongly urges support of the Grassley- Dorgan Farm Program Reform amendment...

An Open Letter to the Senate Agriculture Committee: Support Subsidy Reform

Dear Senator:   The undersigned organizations have long advocated reform of our crop subsidy system.  Now, with added federal expenditures...

World Trade Organization Overrules King Cotton

Washington, D.C. - The following is a prepared statement by Franz Matzner, Policy Analyst of Taxpayers for Common Sense on the World Trade...

Letter Thanking Jeff Flake for Farm Subsidy Work

July 20, 2004 The Honorable Jeff Flake United States House of Representatives 424 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear...

Fixed Direct Payments: Flawed Formula Fleeces Taxpayers

Fixed Direct Payments, or ‘decoupled payments’, provide farmers with direct income unrelated to the market. Many argue that direct income...

Letﾒs End the Century of Subsidies

Washington, D.C. - The following statement was released today by Steve Ellis, Senior Director of Water Resources at Taxpayers for Common...

TCS Blasts Senate on Ethanol Decision

Washington, D.C. - The Senate decision today to approve the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) that will increase the use of ethanol to 5...

TCS Statement on House Supporting Payment Caps in Farm Bill

Washington, D.C. - Statement by Cena Swisher, Senior Director at Taxpayers for Common Sense, on the House Supporting Payment Caps in Farm...

Despite Changes, Farm Bill Costs too Much, Continues to Plague Family Farmers

Washington, D.C. - The following statement is from Joe Theissen, Executive Director of Taxpayers for Common Sense in response to final...

EPA Letter to California Governor Gray Davis on ethanol

Letter from EPA Administrator Whitman to California Governor denying their request for a waiver from the oxygen content requirement of the...

Agricultural Appropriations Bill Reaches Too Deep

Washington, DC - The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on an appropriations bill today that is riddled with unnecessary...

Chabot takes Stand Against Wasteful Spending

Representative Steve Chabot (R-OH) today offered two separate amendments to the House Agriculture spending bill that would eliminate...

Agriculture Appropriations Bill Reaches Too Deep

Washington, DC – The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on an appropriations bill today that is riddled with unnecessary...

Engineering Boondoggles

While Washington is wringing its hands about the automatic across-the-board budget cuts known as...