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Some Thinking Points For Calling Your Senator About The Big Beautiful Bill Act

Personal stories are very powerful. Elected representatives hear a lot from lobbyists and paid advocates for various causes. But nothing is more impactful to a representative than a real opinion connected to a real story from a real constituent that lives in their District. Thank you for taking the time to reach out to them. Find your Senator here.  Below is a suggested framework to guide your call. Be sure to plan your comments ahead of time. You will likely leave a message or talk to a staffer. Staffers generally do a great job of communicating your perspective. Most importantly, your call in opposition to parts of the Big Beautiful Bill will be logged.  If you are leaving a message, be sure to leave your number for a call back. 

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1.     Tell them who you are, where you live, what you do for a living, or a little about your family. 

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2.     Thank the legislator. Be specific as you can. If they have supported a bill you liked, or done something you have appreciated in the past, thank them for it. Maybe you can't think of anything specific they have done, but you can at least thank them for taking the time to talk with you. Even if you really disagree with their politics or positions, start off with a friendly and generous tone. â€‹

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3.     Share a personal story about how USDA and NRCS conservation funding has helped you or would help you to achieve your goals, how it would help other farmers to overcome barriers to conservation investments,  how technical assistance is important, or how NRCS staff have been important to your operation, community, or bottom line.  Be as specific as possible.

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4.     Consider what the Legislator values. What messages might resonate most with them? Fiscal responsibility? Perhaps emphasize how conservation funding for farmers now prevents much more costly flood damage to communities later. Also consider what might be offensive or controversial to them. For example, try to stay positive about grazing or cover cropping rather than critical of other forms of agriculture.

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5.     Ask them specifically to support the Honor Farmer Contracts Act and to restore funding for terminated programs and projects that were contractually agreed upon. Ask them to support general Farm Bill allocations for agricultural conservation, and full staffing in NRCS offices to provide technical support to farmers. 

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6.      Leave your number for a call back. 

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Here are the primary issues in the Big Beautiful Bill Act that will hurt many farmers and their communities. Please don't feel you need to mention all of these. Pick what has meaning or connection to you.

 

-Increases federal subsidies for the LARGEST FARMS, just the top .3% of producers, while doing nothing to support smaller farms that are the backbone of rural communities

 

-Increases the national debt by another $2.4 trillion and funnels money away from those who need it most up to the richest few

 

-Dramatically cuts existing funding for conservation technical assistance, making it harder for farmers to effectively implement conservation practices that protect rural drinking water, rural-urban infrastructure, and soil health (please see more on this below)

 

-Pays for costly subsidy increases to the largest farms (and their insurance companies) by cutting nutrition benefits (SNAP) to the most vulnerable American families, many of whom live in farm communities

 

-Removes income limits for farmers receiving subsidies

 

-Expands disaster assistance only for the most profitable farms, leaving even fewer resources available to extend relief to smaller and uninsured farms who face natural disasters

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Let's work together! 

Do you have a personal story of a terminated USDA contract? We would love to help you craft a message and convey it to people with influence. Contact Chuck Anderas, Policy Director, at canderas@michaelfields.org.

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