There is important legislation currently being debated in Congress that would impact the lives of millions of animals on farms in the United States. Please contact your U.S. Representative and ask him or her to support the following two bills.

The Food and Risk Management for the 21st Century Act (HR 2720)

Americans now eat more than 1 million animals every hour, according to USDA statistics. That works out to more than 9 billion per year. This is obviously bad for the animals, and it’s also bad for human health. Part of the reason for our nation's diet is that federal subsidies greatly favor the production of feed grains used for beef and poultry, and also provide incentives for dairy production. The federal government also purchases meat and dairy products to increase farm income, and then provides these products to schools and other food assistance programs. In 2005, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) spent $386 million on beef, cheese, and butter for food assistance programs, but less than $10 million on fresh fruits and vegetables. More than 80 percent of food production subsidies support meat, dairy, sugar, oil and feed crops.

We now have an opportunity to change things. The Farm Bill, which sets U.S. agriculture policy, will be debated in Congress very shortly. Several Representatives have introduced a helpful amendment (HR 2720), called "The Food and Risk Management for the 21st Century Act" (or FARM 21). It will phase out subsidies, and make federal policies much friendlier toward vegetable and fruit production. This amendment has a great deal of support, but also faces a huge challenge from the livestock industry.

You can help
It is likely that the FARM 21 amendment will be heard on the floor of the House during the week of July 23. It is important that we all contact our Representatives to ask them to co-sponsor HR 2720.

Visit www.house.gov to learn how to contact your Representative (enter your zip code in the upper left corner of the page). Phone calls are an extremely effective way to communicate with Congress. After you’ve made your call, you can send a follow-up e-mail.

Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act (HR 1726)

More than 9 billion animals are raised and slaughtered in the United States each year. While federal laws address the treatment of farm animals during transport and slaughter, there is no federal law regarding the treatment of these animals while they're on the farm. The Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act, HR 1726, would require that anyone seeking to sell meat, milk and eggs to the federal government— to the military, federal prisons, school lunches, or other programs— meet basic animal welfare standards. The bill would prevent the USDA from purchasing products from farmers who starve or force-feed animals, leave sick or injured animals to languish without treatment or humane euthanasia, or confine animals so restrictively that they are unable to turn around and stretch their limbs and wings.

The federal government spends more than $1 billion annually purchasing animal products for various federal programs like the National School Lunch Program. If passed, the Farm Animal Stewardship Act would affect the lives of millions of animals. Passage of this legislation would also send a clear message to agribusiness that the U.S. government will no longer turn a blind eye to the treatment of animals raised for food.

How you can help

Contact your Representative and ask him or her to co-sponsor HR 1726, the Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act.
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

Thank you!
ARFF
http://www.animalrightsflorida.org/