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A Message from
the CREATE-21 Co-Chairs to
the NASULGC System:
- Board on Agriculture Assembly
- Budget and Advocacy Committee
- Council on Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching
- Council on Governmental Affairs
The House Committee on Agriculture begins its final deliberations on
the Farm Bill today. As that debate begins, we want to provide you
with a summary of where we stand and links to key documents. (At end
of this report.) Let us note at the
outset that Chairmen Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Tim Holden (D-PA),
Ranking Members Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Frank Lucas (R-OK), and
their staff have been very willing to consider all of NASULGC’s
requests and have included most of the legislative suggestions
contained in CREATE-21 (as introduced in HR 2398 by Representative
Barrow and co-sponsored by Representatives, Bishop, Costa, Pryce,
Space, Boyda, Kagen, Scott and Whitfield).
NASULGC and we urge you to support the
House Agriculture Committee “Chairman’s Mark” as it is currently
written.
On behalf of the land-grant community we have taken the following
two positions and have communicated them to Reps. Peterson and
Goodlatte:
1. We support the Research Title (VII) of the 2007 Farm Bill as
reflected in the latest version of the “Chairman’s Mark.”
2. We oppose any amendment that would weaken, further complicate, or
add bureaucracy to the quality product that the committee has put
together.
Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) intends to offer an amendment
— the spirit of which is consistent with
our goals — that nonetheless complicates
what the Committee has already achieved. The committee leadership
has worked hard with other members of the committee, the research
community, and USDA to put in place much of what NASULGC has
requested. We understand the substance of the concerns behind the
Graves amendment and appreciate that this is a complicated matter
with varied views. But, after much consideration, NASULGC has
decided to support the Chairman's Mark as it currently stands.
Thanks for all of your patience and hard work. If you have
questions, please do not hesitate to contact any of us or Jim
Richards
jrichards@cgagroup.com
Sincerely,
The CREATE-21 Co-Chairs
Jeffrey D. Armstrong
armstroj@anr.msu.edu
Robert D. Steele
rsteele@psu.edu
L. Washington Lyons
llyons849@msn.com
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