SFagan NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94 Lobbying the Farm Bill The Farm Bill touches everything from crops to consumers and the massive piece of legislation spends nearly a trillion dollars over the next 10 years. But how was it created? With billions at stake, hundreds of companies and outside groups lobbied on issues related to the 2014 Farm Bill and fought for pieces of the landmark legislation. It’s not just farmers and ranchers vying for their stake. Leaders in trade, finance, energy and transportation joined a long list of big business interests that are interested in the Farm Bill. With vicious fights over everything from the leveling of funding for the food stamp program to farm subsidies to conservation measures, the drafting of the Farm Bill was fraught with roadblocks at every step. And a months-long investigation by Harvest Public Media and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting found the nation’s food and fuel policy was besieged by an army of lobbyists representing interests of all kinds. NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94 Growing Influence Thu, 16 Sep 2021 08:08:02 +0000 https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org After two years of debate, the U.S. Congress passed a Farm Bill this year that replaced direct subsidies to farmers with an ever increasing multi-billion dollar federal crop insurance program. During that time, at least 80 groups spent more than $50 million in lobbying efforts that included ensuring their interests in the often criticized program were well-represented. Among those 80 or so groups pouring funds into the lobbying cause were crop insurance companies, trade associations and corporations, a Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting and Harvest Public Media joint analysis of federal lobbying disclosure reports found. Those specific groups reported spending about $52.5 million to lobby between the start of 2012 and the first quarter of this year, according to the analysis Overall, the analysis found that at least 600 companies , trade groups and other organizations spent half a billion dollars on lobbying that included the 2014 Farm Bill or related legislation. Thus, it https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/crop-insurance-programs-subject-intense-farm-bill-lobbying 257 as https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org Thu, 17 Jul 2014 04:00:00 +0000 Crop Insurance Programs Subject Of Intense Farm Bill Lobbying Jeremy Bernfeld Setting the course for almost a trillion dollars of government spending, the 2014 Farm Bill attracted hundreds of companies eager to find their slice of the pie. A months-long investigation by the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting and Harvest Public Media found at least 600 companies that lobbied on issues related to the Farm Bill during the time the bill was being drafted. Thanks to cloudy lobbying disclosure laws, it’s nearly impossible to know just how much any one company influenced the legislation. What we do know is that these 18 companies and groups spent at least $5 million each in total lobbying from 2012 to the First Quarter of 2014, and they each lobbied on issues related to the Farm Bill. Chamber of Commerce of the U S A Exxon Mobil Corp E. I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co. American Bankers Association Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Grocery Manufacturers Association Wells Fargo & Company AARP Monsanto Company Independent Community Bankers of https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/18-big-lobbyers-influenced-farm-bill 256 as https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org Mon, 14 Jul 2014 04:00:00 +0000 18 Big Lobbyers That Influenced The Farm Bill Jeremy Bernfeld The “who” part of the Farm Bill is pretty clear. With trillions dollars of government spending up for grabs, lobbyists from all ends of the spectrum – representing environmental interests, biotech companies, food companies, farmers – flocked to Capitol Hill to find their piece of the Farm Bill pie. From major financial institutions (Wells Fargo & Company) to Taco Bell (Yum! Brands) to Midwest farmers (the National Corn Growers Association), outside groups spent big bucks to shape national food and agriculture policy. But thanks to opaque lobbying disclosure laws, it’s nearly impossible to know how much power each group wields and what they were ultimately able to accomplish. Cloudy disclosure The non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics named the Farm Bill the sixth-most lobbied bill in 2013 and the tenth-most lobbied bill in 2012 . Our research supports that. After a months-long investigation, Harvest Public Media and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting found that in https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/out-public-eye-bitter-farm-bill-fights 255 as https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org Fri, 11 Jul 2014 04:00:00 +0000 Out Of Public Eye, A Bitter Farm Bill Fights Peggy Lowe When U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow announced passage of the Farm Bill in February, she echoed a refrain from a car commercial. “This is not your father’s Farm Bill,” she said. While Stabenow, the Michigan Democrat who leads the Senate Agriculture Committee, was referring to what proponents heralded as “reform” of some programs, her remarks were accurate on another score. The massive Farm Bill, which will spend $956 billion and set U.S. food policy for the next decade, is no longer the purview solely of agricultural interests. The Farm Bill has evolved from a spotlight on commodities to a focus on consumers, a joint investigation by Harvest Public Media and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting found. At least 600 companies spent roughly a half billion dollars in total lobbying during the two years the Farm Bill was moving on Capitol Hill, with big spenders ranging from Fortune 500 leaders in banking, trade, transportation and energy to non-profits worried about food stamps and https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/lobbyists-all-kinds-flock-farm-bill 254 as https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org Thu, 10 Jul 2014 04:00:00 +0000 Lobbyists Of All Kinds Flock To Farm Bill