Washington, D.C.-  Today 639 local, state and national organizations and individual companies signed on to a petition urging Congress to do no harm to the crop insurance program in the farm bill. This includes broad support from across the country, from Hawaii to Maine, representing everyone from farmers to lenders to conservation organizations to agricultural input providers. This petition was sent to the full Senate in advance of consideration of the farm bill.

 

Specifically, the petition asks Senators to oppose harmful amendments to crop insurance including those that would reduce participation in crop insurance, make insurance more expensive for farmers during a time of economic downturn in agriculture, or harm private-sector delivery.

 

"The petition showcases the wide-spread grassroots support for crop insurance," said Tara Smith, CIRB Vice President of Federal Affairs. "We encourage everyone to reach out to their Senators today to ensure they hear directly what folks in the countryside already know: that crop insurance works, and we need to protect it from harmful amendments in the farm bill."

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About CIRB:

Founded in 1964 and headquartered on Capitol Hill, the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) is proud to provide unparalleled advocacy, support, and membership services to the crop insurance and reinsurance community. Today, CIRB members provide a vital component of the farm safety net, writing policies in every state and providing billions of dollars in crop protection.  Learn more about us at www.cropinsurance.org.  To learn more about the crop insurance coalition's work, or to get involved, please contact CIRB staff.

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