Boxer Requests Urgent Meeting with Agriculture Secretary to Discuss Fair Distribution of Emergency Dairy Funding

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today wrote to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting an urgent meeting to discuss USDA assistance for dairy producers and the importance of ensuring equitable distribution of emergency funding.

In August, the Senate approved $350 million as part of the FY2010 Agriculture Appropriations Bill to help struggling dairy farmers nationwide. Unfortunately the final conference report, completed last night, reallocated those funds to other existing authorities that are likely to benefit small dairy producers in the Northeast and Midwest, rather than all dairy producers.

In a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid, Boxer said, “I have serious concerns that emergency spending included in this legislation to assist dairy producers will be used in a way that discriminates against dairies in Western states.”

Boxer went on to tell Reid that she would object to any unanimous consent request to move forward on the FY2010 Agriculture Appropriations Conference report until she had met with Secretary Vilsack.

The full text of Boxer’s letter to Secretary Vilsack follows:

October 1, 2009

The Honorable Tom Vilsack
United States Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250

Dear Secretary Vilsack:

As you know, dairies in California and throughout the nation are struggling to survive this economic crisis, and each month we learn of more dairies going out of business and industry workers losing their jobs. Under your leadership, the USDA has taken anumber of steps in the past few months to help alleviate the pressure on dairies, and I thank you for your efforts.

To date the efforts USDA has taken to assist dairy producers have been accomplished in a fair manner that has not favored one dairy-producing region over another. However, I am greatly concerned that $350 million in emergency funding included in the FY2010 Agriculture Appropriations conference report may be distributed in a manner unfair to producers in Western states.

This funding, which was inserted into the Senate’s version of the Agriculture Appropriations bill by Senator Sanders and supported by dairy state Senators from all regions, including California, was originally intended to be used to provide additional authority for USDA’s Dairy Product Price Support Program. Unfortunately the final conference report, completed last night, reallocated these funds to other existing authorities. The final language includes $60 million for the purchase of cheese and other dairy products, and $290 million that can be used at your discretion for direct payments to dairy producers without any public comment period or rulemaking procedures. This final result is drastically different from what the Senate approved and worrisome to dairy producers in California.

I am concerned that spending authority has been provided to USDA with little Congressional direction, and I request a meeting as soon as possible to discuss how you intend to administer this emergency program. The ongoing dairy crisis is damaging local economies not just in the Northeast and the Midwest, but in all states; it is imperative that this funding is distributed in a fair and equitable way for all producers.

Please contact my staff at 202-XXX-XXXX to schedule a meeting.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

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