What's Happening in Agriculture

Taxpayers Cannot Afford a $1 Trillion Farm Bill

Today, TCS sent a letter urging the House to reject a new trillion dollar farm bill and instead enact a short-term extension....

New Report Finds Millionaires Still Receive Farm Subsidies

Last week, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report finding that farm subsidies are still being paid to...

Letter to Energy & Commerce Committee: Support Comprehensive Review of the Renewable Fuel Standard

Yesterday, TCS joined 12 other diverse organizations in a letter supporting a comprehensive review of the federal biofuels mandate....

TCS Statement on House Passage of Ag-Only Farm Bill

Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, released the following statement on the House's passage of an agriculture-only farm bill....

Oppose Ag-Only Farm Bill: Spends More Than Senate Bill; Changes Make Subsidies Permanent

Today, TCS urged the House to vote no on an agriculture-only farm bill that would spend more than the Senate-passed bill. ...

House Leadership Proposes Outspending Senate in Farm Bill

Fresh on the heels of losing a farm bill vote on the Floor because the rushed bill did not cut spending enough, House leadership is...

Truth Checking Trillion-Dollar Farm Bill Apologists

The rhetoric from defenders of Washington’s heavy-handed role in agriculture reached a peak during recent House debate on a nearly $1...

Rhetoric on Adjusted Gross Income Grossly Distorts the Facts

Many farm bill apologists attacked basic means testing as a “poison pill” for the farm bill. House Agriculture Committee leaders Frank...

Math Like Chairman Lucas’ is the Reason We Have a $17 Trillion Debt

"And if you look at how [crop insurance] has worked in the 7 years prior to the onset of the drought of 2011, basically the Federal...

TCS Statement on House Rejection of 2013 Farm Bill

Below is a statement by Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, on the House's rejection of the 2013 farm bill. ...

Support Common Sense Amendments to Rein in Trillion Dollar House Farm Bill

Today, TCS sent a letter urging the House to support common sense amendments to rein in the trillion dollar farm bill. ...

Fiscal Conservative Organizations Outraged at Farm Bill Process

Today, TCS joined other fiscal conservative organizations expressing outrage at the farm bill process. ...

Letter to House Rules Committee: Allow Open Debate on Farm Bill

Today, TCS urged the House Rules Committee to allow a full and open debate on the farm bill....

Reject House Farm Bill: Costs 60% More Than Last Bill

Today, TCS sent a letter to the House opposing the trillion dollar farm bill, HR 1947....

It’s Gonna be a Long Summer!

Yesterday was yet another low for Congress. The Senate passed a Farm Bill without any real effort to trim the bloat and waste. ...

TCS Statement on Passage of 2013 Senate Farm Bill

Statement of Ms. Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, on passage of the 2013 Senate farm bill. ...

Oversight Hearing on Federal Renewable Fuel Standard

Yesterday, the House Oversight and Government Reform’s Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care and Entitlements held a hearing...

The Farm Bill is $1 Trillion of Business as Usual

The Farm Bill IS NOT a Deficit Reduction Bill The last two farm bills cost $400 billion more than predicted   Most of this...

Fiscal Watchdogs Oppose Farm Bill Gutting Flood Insurance Reform

Sen. Landrieu (D-LA) has offered an amendment to the farm bill that would delay National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) reforms adopted last summer. ...

Not a Check, It’s a Bill

Federally subsidized crop insurance is on pace to cost at least $27 billion – 57 percent – more than was promised in the last farm bill...

Letter to Senate: Oppose Bloated Farm Bill

Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to the Senate, urging support for common sense reforms to the 2013 farm bill....

Support McCain-Flake Amendment No. 955

    Support McCain-Flake Amendment No. 955 May 23, 2013 The...

Fighting Deficit Reduction

The most recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s $955 billion farm bill continues to show...

2013 House and Senate Farm Bills Stack on More Subsidies

As we expected, the House and Senate Agriculture Committees went to great lengths this week to save as little money as possible in their...

Support Bipartisan Crop Insurance Reform Legislation

Today, TCS joined 11 other fiscal conservative groups in supporting the Bipartisan Assisting Family Farmers through Insurance Reform Measures Act....

Paltry Savings Proposed in 2013 House and Senate Farm Bills

Late last week, the House and Senate Agriculture Committees released new drafts of five-year farm bills that propose paltry savings--$18...

Fiscal Conservatives Letter on Farm Policy: The “Terrible Twelve”

Today, TCS joined 10 other fiscally conservative groups highlighting a dozen wasteful farm policy programs. ...

Diverse Stakeholders Applaud Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Reform

Today, a bipartisan set of Representatives introduced a bill to take long overdue steps toward reforming the broken Renewable Fuel...

TCS Analysis of the FY14 Presidential Budget Request

Taxpayers for Common Sense staff will be combing through the budget over the next several hours and days and bringing to light various...

Joint Letter to the Senate: Support Crop Insurance Transparency

Taxpayers for Common Sense and eight other fiscal conservative organizations urge support for a crop insurance transparency amendment. ...

New Analysis: Farm Bills Save Billions Less Than Previously Expected

Last year's trillion-dollar farm bills would have saved billions less than proponents claimed....

Senate Dems’ Plan to Avoid Sequester Fails to Save

Senate Democrats' plan to avoid sequestration cuts fails to save taxpayers enough money....

Letter to Congress: Harvest Real Savings by Reforming Agriculture Policy

Taxpayers for Common Sense and twelve other fiscal watchdogs sent a letter to Congress urging they harvest real savings in any new farm bill....

Even More Options for Cutting Crop Insurance Costs

Defenders of agricultural subsidies at all costs are starting to feel the heat. Yesterday, professors from Ohio State University,...

TCS Testifies before House Oversight and Government Reform Committee

Ryan Alexander testified before House Oversight and Government Reform Committee...

TCS Moderates Congressional Briefings on Reforming the Renewable Fuel Standard

            February 5, 2013 CONTACTS: Steve Ellis, 202-546-8500 ext...

It’s Official: 2012 Drought Cost Taxpayers a Record $14 Billion

This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed what taxpayers have feared for months. After tallying losses from last...

Farm Bill Extension Better Than Trillion-Dollar Bill

As we predicted, all the hype about the “dairy cliff” hitting consumers with sky-high milk prices was nothing but a hoax....

Lactose Intolerance: There is No Dairy Cliff

Don’t believe the hype. There is no milk cliff. Yes, after the new year, permanent farm law from 1949 (and 1938) will take effect, but...

Golden Fleece Awarded to Agriculture Risk Management Agency

TCS awarded the Golden Fleece to USDA's Risk Management Agency for wasting taxpayer funds...

Fiscal Conservatives: Taxpayers Won’t Harvest Farm Bill Savings

Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a joint letter today urging Congress to reject a five-year farm bill as part of a deficit reduction package....

Drought Fails to Dry Up Farm Profits

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that even after this year’s drought, farm profits are on pace to...

Letter to Congress: Oppose Any Fiscal Cliff Farm Bill Deal

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to Congress urging members to reject passing a nearly trillion-dollar farm bill in the lame duck session....

President Ms. Ryan Alexander Sliding Past Sequestration Statement

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 1, 2012 CONTACTS: Steve Ellis 202-546-8500...

Letter to the Speaker: Washington Cannot Make It Rain

Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to Speaker Boehner to oppose $1 trillion worth of bad agriculture policy....

Letter to the Speaker: Don’t Cut the House out of the Farm Bill Debate

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined 13 other organizations representing a diversity of interests in calling on Speaker Boehner to not let taxpayers be subjected to a "bait and switch" on the Farm Bill. Recent comments from House Agriculture Committee leadership clearly outline a strategy to use supplemental drought assistance and a one year extension of the Farm Bill as a “Trojan Horse” to get to conference with the Senate on a five-year Farm Bill....

Fiscal Conservatives: Farm Bill Will Not Solve Drought

Following the old adage "never let a crisis go to waste," special interests in Washington are trying to exploit the current drought...

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

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined several groups in urging Congress to support H.R. 6098, "Crop Insurance Subsidy Reform...

Oppose House Farm Bill Draft: Fails to Reform; Creates New Subsidy Entitlement Programs

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined together with several groups today urging Congress to oppose the House of Representative's Draft Farm...

Green Scissors 2012 Finds Environmentally Destructive Federal Programs

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

TCS Statement on Passage of Senate Farm Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 21, 2012 CONTACT: Joshua Sewell 202-546-8500  Statement of Ms. Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers...

Statement by Ryan Alexander, President of TCS on Common Sense Limit to Taxpayer Subsidies for Crop Insurance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 21, 2012 CONTACT: Steve Ellis, 202-546-8500 x126 The following is a statement by Ryan Alexander,...

Senators Call for Common Sense Changes to Crop Insurance

This week Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) took an important step highlighting the need to rein in the largest taxpayer...

Senate Agriculture Committee Proposes Entitlement Filled Farm Bill

The Senate Agriculture Committee today released its version of the Farm Bill and it appears to fall far short of needed reforms. And...

National Taxpayer and Free Market Nonprofits Announce New Joint Venture

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 30, 2012 CONTACTS: Steve Ellis, Vice President, Taxpayers...

Taxpayers for Common Sense Statement on Common Sense Step Toward an Appropriate Agricultural Safety Net

Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Tim Johnson (D-SD) today introduced legislation that is important in efforts to focus federal...

TCS Analysis of the FY13 Presidential Budget Request

Last Updated: February 19, 2012 The FY2013 Presidential Budget Request was released this morning (2/13/2012). TCS staff will be posting...

Coalition Letter Opposing Passing Farm Bill Through Super Committee

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense joined a coalition on a letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, asking them to not...

Congressmen Support Common Sense Cuts to Wasteful Ag Spending

Congressmen Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) sent a letter this week to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction...

Action Alert: Senate Set to Vote on Ethanol Amendment [Completed Action]

UPDATE: In 2011, Taxpayers for Common Sense celebrated a major policy win. Congress let the wasteful ethanol tax credit (VEETC) expire...

Letter Supporting Bipartisan Effort to Cut Billions in Ethanol Giveaway

Taxpayers for Common Sense joined a broad and diverse coalition applauding Senators Coburn (R-OK) and Feinstein (D-CA) for combining their efforts to end billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded subsidies for conventional ethanol by introducing the bipartisan “Ethanol Subsidy and Tariff Repeal Act.”...

Updates & Budgetary Gimmicks in the Final Continuing Resolution Unveiled by House Appropriations

The House Appropriations Committee released the final Continuing Resolution (CR) funding the federal government for the rest of the 2011...

TCS Testifies at the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

On March 3, 2011 Taxpayers for Common Sense President Ryan Alexander testified at a House Committee on Oversight and Government reform...

TCS Mentioned on Capitol Hill (February)

Taxpayers for Common Sense was mentioned numerous times on Capitol Hill this February.  CSPAN video provided below: February 7,...

Broad Coalition Calls for the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit to Expire

Taxpayers for Common Sense along with 90 other organizations and associations delivered a letter to Congressional leaders on Tuesday...

Letter to Congress: Where to Start Cutting to Trim the Deficit

Today Taxpayers for Common Sense delivered to leadership in both the House and Senate a report on how Congress can quickly cut nearly...

Reforms Proposed by National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform Co-Chairs Unveiled Today

The Co-chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform gave their proposals to fellow Commission members today....

TCS Urges Congress to Enact Farm Bill Reforms

The House Committee on Agriculture is currently holding a series of hearings reveiwing our country's agriculture policy in order to lay...

Bill Introduced to Extend Wasteful Ethanol Tax Credits

Today Taxpayers for Common Sense joined together with representatives from the Grocery Manufacturers Association, American Meat...

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...

Agriculture Policy Reform in the Federal Budget

The President’s budget proposals for the Department of Agriculture includes a number of items that TCS would like to see come to...

Joint Letter to Congress: Don’t Extend Loan Guarantee Program in the Continuing Resolution

       Congress Can’t Afford to Fund Risky Loans; Don’t Extend DOE Loan Guarantee Program in...

Joint Letter to the President on Suspension of Ethanol Tariff

TCS joined other groups in a letter to President George W. Bush on suspension of the ethanol tariff. ...

TCS Letter to Congress: Oppose Farm Bill Conference Report

Letter to Congress:  Oppose Farm Bill Conference Report May 13, 2008 Dear...

TCS and NTU Joint Letter to the President: Veto the Farm Bill

May 7, 2008 The Honorable George W. Bush President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.,...

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

February 28, 2008 The Honorable George W. Bush President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave...

Congressional Letter to House Leaders on Farm Bill Reform

Below is a February 2008 letter to House Speaker and Minority Leader, and Agriculture Committee chairman and ranking member. The letter,...

Coalition Letter Welcoming New Agriculture Commissioner

February 6, 2008 The Honorable Edward Schafer Secretary of Agriculture U.S. Department of...

Oppose Efforts to Increase Dairy Price Support Program

May 14, 2007 Dear Chairman Peterson and Ranking Member Goodlatte: During reauthorization of the...

Testimony - Federal Crop Insurance Program

(Download a pdf of this testimony)   Testimony of Steve Ellis Vice President,...

Bold Reform Needed in 2007 Farm Bill

February 8, 2007 Dear Member of Congress: Taxpayers for Common Sense Action, a...

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

June 5, 2006 Dear Speaker Hastert and Leader Pelosi: Earlier this month several Members of...

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

May 26, 2006 Dear Representative: On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we urge you to...

Support Amendments to Reign in Agriculture Appropriations’ Earmarks

May 23, 2006 Dear Representative: Taxpayers for Common Sense Action urges you to support...

Oppose Farm Bill Extension in Budget Reconciliation

                Oppose Farm Bill Extension in Budget Reconciliation December 14,...

Letter Thanking Jeff Flake for Farm Subsidy Work

July 20, 2004 The Honorable Jeff Flake United States House of Representatives 424 Cannon House...

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...

Syria: Excuse 535 To Not Cut the Deficit

Volume XVIII No. 37 Possible action in Syria has become the most recent excuse du jour for Pentagon boosters...