Annual Appropriations
Each year the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) engages in the annual appropriations process through which Congress funds the basic functions of the federal government. NSAC talks to its member groups to decide its appropriations priorities, and then advocates for those programs in DC and around the country. NSAC works to bring farmer and rancher voices to Appropriations Committee decisions by encouraging citizen action, coordinating grassroots response and organizing farmer “fly-ins” to DC.
Although there are many Appropriations Subcommittees (e.g. Homeland Security, Energy and Water, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, etc.), NSAC’s work primarily involves the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees of the House and Senate, because those Subcommittees determine how farm, food, and rural development funding will be allocated.
It is important for your Congressional Representative and Senators to hear from you about why you think a particular farm, food or rural program should be funded and at what level in the following year’s appropriations bill. Communication about this can happen in several ways: 1) through a phone call to your Representative’s or Senator’s offices; 2) through an in-district meeting with your Representative or Senators or their staff; 3) a letter that is faxed to their office. See the Advocacy Toolkit for more details.
A chart showing the latest FY 2011 Appropriations funding for NSAC priorities is available here. This is current as of April 1, 2010.
Recent Actions Taken by NSAC:
- NSAC FY 11 Ag Approps Chart – House & Senate Committee Bills, Updated July 26, 2010
- Groups Urge Agriculture Funding Fairness, April 26, 2010
- NSAC’s FY 2011 Agriculture Appropriations Testimony to Senate Subcommittee, March 26, 2010.
- NSAC’s FY 2011 Agriculture Appropriations Testimony to House Subcommittee, March 19, 2010.
Other Actions: