National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson agrees. WASHINGTON (Oct. 17, 2013) – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement today, after the end of the U.S. federal government shutdown: “Last night’s action by Congress ended a shutdown of our government and will return agencies back to normal operating status. This is [...]
Posted on October 17th, 2013 by Debby
Filed under: Agriculture, Economy, Farm Bill 2012, Farms & Farmers, Federal Budget, POTUS, Rural Issues, US Congress | No Comments »
The title of this essay is that of a song I remember from bygone days. Frank Sinatra used to sing it. Listening to Barack Obama and John Kerry give their rationale for attacking Syria, gave me an ear worm – the song keeps running around in my brain and I’m sick of hearing it. The [...]
Posted on September 6th, 2013 by Miryam Ehrlich Williamson
Filed under: Foreign Policy, House of Representatives, National Security, Obama, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Growing up in Massachusetts means a special kind of connection to the Fourth of July. Along with Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July is one of two holidays all Americans can claim as our own. Both were born in Massachusetts: Thanksgiving in Plymouth around a communal dining table and the American Revolution, which started with the [...]
Posted on July 4th, 2013 by Debby
Filed under: Agriculture, Childhood Hunger, Farm Bill 2012, Farms & Farmers, Food, House of Representatives, House of Representatives, Nutrition, Public Option, Rural Urban Partnerships, US Congress | 1 Comment »
The old rural-urban alliance that married farm and nutrition programs failed to get a Farm Bill through the House this afternoon. The bill lost 195-234, with food stamps apparently the main issue. The House seemed ready to pass the bill this afternoon “after the Agriculture Committee leadership agreed to a sweeping en bloc amendment Wednesday [...]
Posted on June 20th, 2013 by Debby
Filed under: Agriculture, Childhood Hunger, Economy, Farm Bill 2012, Food, House of Representatives, Nutrition | No Comments »
Heads up from New England Farmers Union! The Senate will begin voting today on a list of amendments to the farm bill. There are some very good things in this bill for New England and at least two amendments that would make it even better. Please call your Senators TODAY and ask them to support [...]
Posted on June 19th, 2012 by Debby
Filed under: Agriculture, Farm Bill 2012, Farms & Farmers, Federal Programs, Food, Senate, US Congress, USDA, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
The Senate began consideration of a farm and food bill yesterday. The biggest issues on the threshing floor of the Senate is separating wheat from chaff between Northern and Southern farmers over safety net programs and the question of costs for the federal food stamp program, which makes up about 80 percent of the $100 [...]
Posted on June 6th, 2012 by Debby
Filed under: Agriculture, Community Gardens, Farm Bill 2012, Farm to School, Farm-to-School, Farmers Markets, Food, Rural Urban Partnerships, Senate, USDA | No Comments »
It’s growing season again – time to go out in search of farm markets and farm stands to purchase yummy local ingredients for your table. Besides treating your tasebuds to the freshest best tasting foods, supporting local farms and farmers keeps your food dollars in your community. And that is exactly what the Local Farms, [...]
Posted on May 30th, 2012 by Debby
Filed under: Agriculture, Buy Local, Farm to School, Farm-to-School, Farms & Farmers, House of Representatives, Rural Issues, Rural Urban Partnerships, Senate, Uncategorized | No Comments »
By Miryam Ehrlich Williamson [See end of post for an update.] In return for getting the Republicans to drop their demand that Planned Parenthood’s funding be set to zero, President Obama (and, presumably, Majority Leader Harry Reid) agreed to let the matter come up for a vote in the Senate, the House having already decided [...]
Posted on April 12th, 2011 by Miryam Ehrlich Williamson
Filed under: Election 2012, Senate | No Comments »
By Miryam Ehrlich Williamson Usually, when people say it’s not about the money, you know it is about the money. But this time, it’s not about the money. I’m talking, of course, about the budget impasse that bids fair to shut down the government at midnight tonight. In February, House Republicans set a target of [...]
Posted on April 8th, 2011 by Miryam Ehrlich Williamson
Filed under: Federal Budget, Politics and Political Issues, US Congress | No Comments »
By Miryam Ehrlich Williamson It’s barely likely that any American who’s been paying attention to events surrounding this business in Libya is surprised at the scope creep that is taking place before our eyes. (“Scope creep” describes how a task you’ve agreed to do grows larger once you’re shaken hands and pocketed the check.) First [...]
Posted on March 31st, 2011 by Miryam Ehrlich Williamson
Filed under: American Wars, Senate | 1 Comment »
