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Wisconsin Ag News Headlines
Lawmakers Request GAO Report on Who's Getting Crop Insurance
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 11/21/2013

Wisconsin Congressman Ron Kind, along with Reps. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Earl Blumenauer from Oregon are asking the Government Accountability Office to conduct a review of crop insurance payments in order to shed some light on how much of the payments went to wealthy individuals and families. In a letter to GAO Comptroller Gene Dodaro, the House members said 'it is of great concern' that farm subsidies have been paid to at least 50 billionaires, as recently discovered in a report issued by the Environmental Working Group.

"The Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 passed in July by the House expanded crop insurance subsidies," the lawmakers wrote. "According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, these crop insurance subsidies will cost taxpayers $90 billion over the next decade. USDA reports it spent $14 billion on crop insurance last year alone. These subsidies overwhelmingly flow to the largest and most successful farm businesses. Unlike other farm subsidies, crop insurance subsidies are not subject to means testing or payment limits and farmers are not required to adopt basic environmental protections in exchange for premium support from the taxpayer."

The letter went on to say that Congress is currently negotiating a new Farm Bill that would reauthorize and possibly reform a wide range of agriculture and nutrition programs, including the crop insurance program.

"Congress is also determining funding and policy for the food stamp program, which provides support to millions of low-income households, including over 21 million children."

Meanwhile, the reps. added that crop insurance subsidies, unlike other farm subsidies, are not subject to means testing or payment limits and farmers are not required to adopt basic environmental protections in exchange for premium support from the taxpayer. While some farms annually collect more than $1 million in crop insurance premium support, the bottom 80-percent of policyholders annually collect about $5,000.


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