Update on NAIS funding

Last week, the House of Representatives approved the Agriculture Appropriations bill for 2008.  The bill, as passed, did not include funding for NAIS.  But it did include funding for the Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium (WLIC) and the Farm Animal Identification and Records program (FAIR).  WLIC developed the database that most states use for NAIS, and FAIR appears to be an "arm" of NAIS under a different name.  So while the House bill shows progress, we are a long way from where we want to be!

The fight now shifts to the Senate.  Congress takes a vacation every August, and will go back into session on September 4.  During the month of September, the Senate will work on both its version of the Farm Bill and the Agriculture Appropriations bill.  So now is a good time to talk with the Senate staffers about why you don't want NAIS, including why you don't want federal funding for NAIS.

The Senate will move fast, once it re-convenes in September.  Lay the groundwork now! Contact the people listed below and tell them: "I am opposed to the National Animal Identification System.  I do not want NAIS in any bill, and that includes funding for NAIS."
 
Key people to contact:

    * Senator Harkin, Chair of Agriculture Committee, (p) 202-224-2035, (f) 202-224-1725
    * Senator Chambliss, Ranking Minority Member of Agriculture Committee, (p) 202-224-3521, (f) 202-224-0103
    * Senator Robert Byrd, Chair of Appropriations Committee, (p) 202-224-7363, (f) 202-224-2100
    * Senator Thad Cochran, Ranking Minority Member of Appropriations Committee, (p) 202-224-7257, (f) 202-224-9450
    * The Senators from your state: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

You can also reach any legislator by calling the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or toll-free 877-851-6437.   You can email the Senators through the contact forms on their website.  Each Senator's website is: www.name.senate.gov  (for example, www.Harkin.senate.gov)

A phone call is best.  Ask to speak to the staffer who handles agricultural issues, and tell them a little bit about yourself and why you are against NAIS.  Keep it short, and offer to follow-up with more information.  Then send an email to Judith@farmandranchfreedom.org, telling me who you spoke with, and I'll follow up with them.  Please be sure to include the staffer's name, as well as the name of the Senator.
 
You can also download our brand-new flyer, aimed specifically at the Senate, at http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/files/NAIS-Senate-Flyer-8.8.07.pdf  Put copies up at your local feed store, farmers market, and co-op!

Click here for previous action alerts

GAO Report Released - Write Your Newspaper!

On Friday afternoon, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released the long-awaited report on NAIS.  It was a serious disappointment.  The GAO appeared to start with the assumption that NAIS would be an effective means of addressing animal diseases, something for which there is no evidence at all.

We need to get some press attention on this issue!  Please send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.  There were several news stories recently about the GAO report, so it is a timely issue.  If you can get a letter to the newspaper within a few days, they are much more likely to print it!
Below is a sample letter.  Use it, or write your own.  Keep the letter short, to the point, and clear.  It is helpful to mention specific Congressmen's or Senators' names in your letters, to get their attention!
 
Sample Letter to the Editor

(Note: If your local newspaper ran a story on the GAO report, replace the first sentence of the sample letter with: "Thank you for your recent article on the National Animal Identification System.  The GAO report ...:")

Dear Editor,
 
As reported in several newspapers, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report highly critical of the USDA's proposed National Animal Identification System (NAIS). The report can be found on the internet at:  http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07592.pdf.  The GAO report faults the government's failure to effectively implement the program, and noted the lack of a cost analysis despite the federal government having spent over $100 million already.  Yet this only begins to scratch the surface of the problems with NAIS.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture has failed to provide any evidence that the program will actually help control disease outbreaks, so there are no clear benefits to offset the as-yet-unknown costs.  Will NAIS actually provide any benefits over our existing systems?  Should our limited resources be spent electronically tracking every livestock and poultry animal in the country, rather than inspecting imported foods from China or enforcing border controls to keep sick animals out of the country?  What about the intangible costs in time, inconvenience, and loss of privacy for the millions of Americans who own animals as pets or for hobbies, as well as farmers and ranchers?  Neither Congress nor the USDA has even attempted to answer these questions.
 
I urge everyone to ask Senator Harkin and Senator Chambliss to hold oversight hearings in the Senate Agriculture Committee to look into the full scope of the problems with NAIS.   Non-government sources, such as the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (www.NAIStruth.com) have compiled significant evidence of the problems with NAIS. 
 
Sincerely,
Name
City, State

We are making an impact on Congress.  Many of the senior staff that I spoke with in DC know about NAIS and have heard about many of the problems with it.  This is great progress!!  But we still have a long way to go in this fight.  Go to the Take Action page at http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/take-action for materials and tools you can use to spread the word, and keep up the good work!