APS LEGISLATIVE ALERT EMAIL

TO:              U.S. Members of The American Phytopathological Society
FROM:         APS National Plant Pathology Board
                    O.W. Barnett, Chair
SUBJECT:    Legislative Alert - IFAFS

Last March, the APS National Plant Pathology Board (NPPB) sent the first APS Legislative Alert asking you to contact your U.S. Legislators to assure that the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS) funding remained in the 1999-2000 Agricultural Budget. IFAFS did stay in the budget, CEE USDE issued a call for proposals, and 969 of the submitted proposals were peer reviewed. Recently, principal investigators for 85 of these proposals were notified that they were selected for funding. Each proposal was generally submitted as a collaborative effort by multiple investigators. Overall, 3,900 scientists were listed on the proposals.

The 2000-2001 Agriculture Budget is scheduled to come before the Conference Committee soon after the Labor Day recess. The Senate version retains the 1999-2000 IFAFS funding for the 85 grants already awarded, and extends IFAFS funding for another year into 2000-2001. The House version, however, retroactively deletes the 1999-2000 funding and does not contain 2000-2001 funding for IFAFS.

When the current Farm Bill was passed many crop subsidies were deleted. Farmers were promised that in lieu of subsidies more money would be dedicated to agricultural research. The IFAFS funding is the first nationwide program that provides a really significant increase in agricultural research funding in areas not covered by other programs. Now Congress wants to rescind that funding! This is a time when agricultural scientists need to let their Congressional Representatives know what federal funding does for their state. A list of Senate Conference Committee members and the House Subcommittee on Agricultural Appropriations (thought to be the House Conference Committee members) is included with this alert.

Please write members of your state's House delegation and your Senators. Urge your representatives to make clear to members of the Agriculture Budget Conference Committee the importance of IFAFS grants. You need not tell them how to vote, but each Representative ought to be aware how much plant pathology does for agriculture in his or her home state, how the IFAFS funding will aid growers in the years ahead, and how similar federal funds have helped growers in the past. Your letter will be especially convincing if you include details about growers and research in your region yet avoids overselling!

All 3,900 scientists who submitted proposals should definitely write, so please share this alert with those who submitted proposals. Even if you did not submit a proposal, your support is important. Now is an excellent time to let your Congressional Representative know the importance of agricultural research in your state. Thank you for writing and thanks for caring enough to take part in our democratic system.

LEGISLATIVE CONTACT INFORMATION:
The Senate members of the Conference Committee are: Senators Thad Cochran, Chair. Senators Specter (Penn.), Bond, Gorton (Wash.), McConnell (Ky.) for the GOP; Senator Herb Kohl (Wisc.), Ranking Minority Member; and Senators Harkin (Iowa), Dorgan (ND), Feinstein (Calif.) and Durbin (Illinois) for the Democrats.

Contact information for any Senator is most easily found by searching the alphabetical index at: http://www.senate.gov/senators/index.cfm

The House members of the Conference Committee are: Representatives Joe Skeen (N.M.), Chairman; Marcy Kaptur (Ohio), Ranking Minority Member; James T. Walsh (N.Y.); Rosa DeLauro (Conn.); Jay Dickey (Ark.); Maurice D. Hinchey (N.Y.); Jack Kingston (Ga.); Sam Farr (Calif.); George Nethercutt, Jr. (Wash.); Allen Boyd (Florida); Henry Bonilla (Texas); Tom Latham (Iowa); and Jo Ann Emerson (Missouri).

To find your state's delegation for the House go to: http://clerkweb.house.gov/106/mbrcmtee/members/mbrsstate/Unoflmbr.htm
Otherwise you may search the alphabetical listing of Representatives at: http://clerkweb.house.gov/106/mbrcmtee/members/mbrsalph/oalmbr.htm

The American Phytopathological Society
3340 Pilot Knob Road
St. Paul, MN  55121-2097
Phone: +1.651.454.7250
Fax: +1.651.454.0766
Email: aps@scisoc.org
Web: www.apsnet.org