Sen. Kristen Gillibrand visted the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder clinic at the Veteran's Hospital in Batavia today.
Listen to Geoff Redick on WBTA this afternoon for a report on Gillibrand's visit.
UPDATE: Geoff Redick's report is now available on WBTAi.com.
Press Release:
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is urging U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to approve the application submitted by the Genesee County Economic Development Corporation (GCEDC) and the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation (GCLDC) for a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ), a measure that could help attract more businesses to the region, help local businesses find new markets, and create more local jobs.
In her letter to Secretary Locke, Senator Gillibrand wrote, “This designation would allow for important incentives that could help reduce the cost of doing business for participating companies, increase their competitiveness, and help them access new opportunities to expand their markets. The foreign trade zone designation will also minimize the need for businesses to shift their operations to foreign countries to be nearer to new markets, keeping more jobs within the United States.”
“A foreign trade zone designation for Genesee County will allow existing companies to compete in the global marketplace and attract new companies to Western New York,” stated Steve Hyde, President and CEO of the GCEDC. “Many existing companies will save money on parts they import allowing them to hire more local employees.”
Specifically, an FTZ designation allows for substantial cost savings for businesses on import duties, merchandise processing fees, faster delivery, and higher security. Thousands of businesses use FTZs to handle both foreign and domestic products each year, with more than $30 billion in merchandise exported from FTZs to foreign markets.
The GCEDC is an organization devoted to fostering increased economic activity in local communities throughout the Genesee County region. The GCEDC’s efforts include actively marketing the county to businesses and facilitating capital investment that contributes to the creation of jobs in the region. In fact, GCEDC has sponsored 160 projects, leveraging nearly $45 million in private investment into local businesses, and helping to create or save nearly 6,000 local jobs in the last six years alone.
Press release:
Washington, D.C. – With more than 2,300 police and fire departments across New York State that cannot all communicate with each other effectively during times of emergency, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is today calling on the House and Senate to pass legislation that would provide first responders and public safety officials with critical interoperable radio airwaves needed to effectively communicate in the event a major response is needed.
The 9/11 Commission Report identified insufficient interoperability among communications systems used by first responders during the attacks and rescue efforts. Senator Gillibrand is urging Congress to come together before the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and pass the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act, legislation that would create a framework for the deployment of a nationwide, interoperable, wireless broadband network for public safety.
“There is no higher priority than the security of our families and communities,” Senator Gillibrand said. “If we’re going to keep New Yorkers safe, all of our first responders must be able to communicate with each other in real time during emergencies. Nearly ten years after the horror of 9/11, it’s time to bring our first responder technology into the 21st century, and free New York’s emergency personnel from federal bureaucracy to get the job done.”
Data compiled from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, and the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Office of Fire and Prevention Control show that New York State is home to 1,791 fire departments and 568 police departments. Due to an insufficient emergency communications system, these departments cannot all communicate effectively with each other during emergencies.
Small businesses need help, according to Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, so today she announced a legislative package she believes will help small businesses start and grow.
Her plan would provide more federal grant money for business incubators, tax-free savings accounts for entrepreneurs and tax credits for investment in small businesses.
"The lack of early capital from the poor economy holds us (New York) back," said Gillibrand in a press release. "We need to support budding entrepreneurs, free up the credit they need to get their ideas off the ground, and invest in the kind of research we can turn into cutting-edge businesses and new jobs."
Gillibrand plans to introduce the Early-Stage Business Investment and Incubation Act, legislation to provide federal grants of up to $5 million for business incubators to support the development of early-stage small businesses in targeted, high-growth industries.
Another legislative proposal, Small Business Savings Account Act, would allow aspiring entrepreneurs to save up to $10,000 tax free to later invest in a new business.
Gillibrand also proposes making from $250,000 to $2.5 million available for clustered science-tech parks to help drive high-tech entrepreneurship and job creation.
Full press release after the jump:
Washington, D.C. – While small businesses serve as the economy’s biggest job creator, creating half of all new jobs across the state, they are struggling to grow in this tough economy. To help kick-start the backbone of our economy, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced her entrepreneurship agenda to help generate access to the capital needed to start more small businesses, and create jobs for New York.
The focus of Senator Gillibrand’s plan is directing more early capital to business start-ups through federal grants for business incubators, tax-free savings accounts for entrepreneurs, and tax credits to leverage private investment in new businesses. Senator Gillibrand is also fighting for greater investments in New York’s science parks that have the ability to turn groundbreaking academic research into viable businesses that can create jobs and help grow our economy.
“My number-one focus is creating good-paying, family-supporting jobs,” Senator Gillibrand said. “But I know that government doesn’t create jobs – businesses do. New York is home to some of the world’s brightest minds and best ideas to grow our economy. But the lack of early capital from the poor economy holds us back. We need to support budding entrepreneurs, free up the credit they need to get their ideas off the ground, and invest in the kind of research we can turn into cutting-edge businesses and new jobs. This is the future of our economy, and we need to make sure it starts right here in New York.”
Small businesses are responsible for half of all private sector jobs and 70 percent of all new jobs created in the last decade. But nearly 60 percent of all small business report having trouble getting the credit they need – holding them back from growing, and creating new jobs.
February employment data from the New York State Department of Labor show that while more Americans are slowly going back to work, approximately 800,000 New Yorkers are still unemployed.
· Approximately 370,000 New York City residents are out of work, giving the region an average percent unemployment rate of 9.4%.
· Approximately 64,000 Western New York residents are out of work, giving the region an average percent unemployment rate of 9.5%.
· Approximately 52,000 Rochester/Finger Lakes Region residents are out of work, giving the region an average percent unemployment rate of 8.6%.
· Over 50,000 Central New York residents are out of work, giving the region an average percent unemployment rate of 9.6%
· Almost 25,000 Southern Tier residents are out of work, giving the region an average percent unemployment rate of 9.6%.
· Over 47,000 Capital Region residents are out of work, giving the region an average percent unemployment rate of 9.2%.
· Approximately 25,000 North Country residents are out of work, giving the region an average percent unemployment rate of 10.8%.
· Approximately 87,000 Hudson Valley residents are out of work, giving the region an average percent unemployment rate of 8.2%.
· Over 110,000 Long Island residents are out of work, giving the region an average percent unemployment rate of 7.7%.
Senator Gillibrand’s Entrepreneurship Agenda
1. Supporting Business Incubators that Fuel Entrepreneurship
One of the biggest obstacles for starting any new business is access to capital. As communities look for new ways to support local business development during tough economic times, increasingly more are looking to business incubators to help launch job creation engines. Currently there is a need for more federal mechanisms to support business incubators beyond “bricks and mortar” support.
Entrepreneurs need support as they work to move their ideas into viable, successful new businesses that create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods, and commercialize new technologies that can help grow our economy.
To support business incubators and foster growth among our high-tech entrepreneurs, Senator Gillibrand is introducing the Early-Stage Business Investment and Incubation Act, legislation to provide federal grants of up to $5 million for business incubators to support the development of early-stage small businesses in targeted, high-growth industries. Grants for incubators would go toward assisting start-up companies with comprehensive training and counseling services, investment management and purchased services.
Supporting entrepreneurs and business incubators is one of the best investments to rebuild areas of New York that were hit hardest by the economic crisis, and grow our high-tech sector.
· Every $10,000 invested in business incubators has the potential to create up to nearly 70 new local jobs, according to the Economic Development Administration (EDA).
· Every dollar devoted to an incubator generates approximately $30 in local tax revenue, according to the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA).
· In 2005 alone, business incubators supported more than 27,000 start-up companies that provided jobs for more than 100,000 workers – generating more than $17 billion in annual revenue, according to NBIA estimates.
2. Tax-Free Savings to Fund New Small Businesses
Entrepreneurs spend on average about $80,000 in first-year start-up costs. But since the economic crisis, with minimal access to capital, debt financing for new businesses has been increasingly difficult to obtain.
As part of her broad agenda to help entrepreneurs develop the start-up funds they need to get their new business ideas off the ground, Senator Gillibrand is co-sponsoring the Small Business Savings Account Act, legislation to allow prospective entrepreneurs to grow tax-free savings to fund their new small business.
The legislation would allow entrepreneurs to save up to $10,000 a year tax-free for their business. Once an individual decides to start their business, the funds from their savings could go toward equipment, facilities, marketing, legal fees, and other capital and operating expenses.
3. Tax Credits for Investments in Small Businesses
Private investment in new businesses helps fuel job creation, and helps entrepreneurs power through the common gap between the start-up of a company and the point it turns profitable. In 2008, companies backed by private investment employed more than 12 million people and generated nearly $3 trillion in revenue, accounting for 11 percent of private sector employment and representing about 21 percent of U.S. GDP. In 2009 alone, angel investments led to the creation of 250,000 new jobs. But since the economic crisis, private equity investment has dried up, holding entrepreneurs back from starting their businesses and growing our economy.
To leverage more private investment into budding entrepreneurs, Senator Gillibrand is co-sponsoring the American Opportunity Act, legislation to provide a 25 percent tax credit to encourage private investors to support emerging small businesses in fields with the most potential to lead in the high-tech economy, including advanced manufacturing, aerospace, biotechnology, clean energy and transportation.
Qualified small businesses could receive $2 million per year in tax credit-eligible cash equity investment, of which no more than $1 million may come from one single investor.
Estimates project the tax credit could spark $2 billion a year in private investments into new businesses.
4. Expand and Build New Science Parks
Science parks hold the potential to make major breakthroughs in academic research that translate to promising new business ventures and new jobs. New York is home to some of the nation’s best science parks, including at Clarkson University, the University at Buffalo, Binghamton University, the College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering at the University at Albany, New York University, Stony Brook University, as well as New York City’s Bioscience Initiative that brings together over a dozen world-class research institutions and business leaders to grow New York’s bioscience industry. Its state-of-the-art facilities and leading research has helped secure over $1 billion in federal investments from the National Institutes for Health (NIH) and create over 110,000 related jobs for New York City.
To give all of New York’s science parks the resources they need and build more science parks across America, Senator Gillibrand fought for and helped pass a provision in the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act that supports new business start-ups, generates student interest in science and technology, and promotes strong relationships between universities and high-tech industries.
Now, Senator Gillibrand is working to secure federal investments to support the growth of science parks. Specifically, Senator Gillibrand is writing to Senate leaders, urging them to include $107 million in the FY2012 budget to help grow America’s science parks.
5. Grow Regional Economies and Attract New Businesses
To grow the economy, businesses must work together and draw on regional strengths that can attract more investment to the area. To foster regional economic growth, Senator Gillibrand is working to pass the Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success (SECTORS) Act – legislation that would award competitive grants ranging from $250,000 to $2.5 million to eligible entities to develop cluster-based economic development strategies.
These investments are critical to connecting regional businesses, suppliers, research and development entities, education and training providers, and associated institutions in a particular field to fulfill regional workforce needs and grow regional economies.
From Eastern New York’s Tech Valley to Western New York’s biotech corridor, to New York City’s Bioscience Initiative, the SECTORS Act would provide critical federal investments to some of New York’s most promising regional cluster development projects, and lay the foundation for our state’s long term economic strength in the high-tech sector.
Saying solutions to the state's dairy crisis can't wait until the 2012 Farm Bill, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand today unveiled a comprehensive plan she claims will provide farmers with immediate support.
That can't happen soon enough according to those in the industry. New York State lost nearly a quarter of all its dairies during 2002-07, according to information Gillibrand included in her news release, dropping from nearly 7,400 to about 5,700 five years later.
The number of Genesee County dairies dropped from 98 to 68, a 31-percent decline.
“New York is home to the hardest working farm families and the finest dairy products in the world, but outdated regulations, broken pricing structures and a bad economy are hurting our dairy farmers, and farming communities across the state," Gillibrand said. "We need to act now to support New York’s dairy farms.”
The full specter of the problem was gleaned after the senator held six agricultural "listening sessions" statewide in preparation for next's year farm legislation.
"I appreciate the senator taking the the time to have listening sessions for the dairy industry and for trying to help New York dairy farmers," said Dean Norton, an Elba dairy farmer and president of the New York Farm Bureau. "I look forward to working with her in preparation for the 2012 Farm Bill."
Gillibrand's plan intends to: make dairy pricing more competitive for New York producers; prevent cuts to the MILC program; help boost exports; improve storage reporting standards; and increase trading price stability.
The current pricing system is obscure and the discouraging result often means dairy farmers pay more to produce their products than they get from selling them.
Farmers say the high costs of feed and fuel make even the existing safety net -- Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) -- inadequate. Further cuts would increase the numbers of farmers taking on massive debt to cover their costs or go out of business.
Gillibrand is urging the federal Department of Agriculture to collect and publish data on alternative measures of dairy pricing, such as competitive-pay pricing, "so that everyone can see if this would be a better way to price milk." The current system of end-product pricing has reportedly contributed to more volatility in milk prices for producers.
Under a competitive-pricing scenario, the price of milk would be determined by a survey of prices paid to farmers for the milk used in cheese production in a competitive market wherein there are counties with at least five different milk buyers.
New York is one of only three states with competitive counties today.
In noncompetitive areas, the existing Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) system would take effect, however base prices would still be established by the competitive-pay pricing system.
To both improve America's milk quality and boost exports, the senator wants to lower the most basic measure of milk quality -- known as somatic cell counts -- so milk has "a longer shelf life, better taste and greater cheese yield."
Another area needing reform, according to farmers are the inventory methods for certain types of cheese, which can "significantly influence trading activities on the Chicago Merchantile Exchange."
For example, cold storage facilities are not required to report their inventories of dairy products to the USDA Natural Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), and only do so on a voluntary basis. This purportedly creates an environment of volatility and uncertainty for dairy trading.
Senator Gillibrand is introducing legislation that would make the Cold Storage Report to NASS mandatory, and give the USDA authority to audit warehouse inventories to help bring more stability to dairy trading prices.
She is also introducing the "Democracy for Dairy Producers Act," which would require dairy cooperatives that engage in bloc voting to provide their member farmers with written notices and other information when certain kind of votes occur.
The bill also would establish an information clearinghouse to provide information regarding any proposed milk marketing order reforms. The information would have to be published on a Web site and distributed to producers through a fax list, e-mail distribution list, or U.S. mail list, at the discretion of individual producers.
Here's a news release from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's office.
As Congress begins debate over the 2012 Farm Bill, Gillibrand -- the first New Yorker to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in nearly 40 years -- began her statewide listening sessions on Wednesday to discuss new efforts to help New York farmers and farming communities.
Senator Gillibrand plans to focus on key areas of the Farm Bill that will have major influence on New York, including access to financing, new market opportunities, assistance for specialty crops, and investments in renewable energy.
From dairy farms to black-dirt farms, and apple orchards to vineyards, artisanal cheeses, and other specialty crops, New York farmers and communities will have a lot to gain in the next Farm Bill.
“New York is home to the hardest-working farm families and the finest locally grown produce in the world, but outdated regulations and a bad economy are hurting our farmers and farming communities across the state,” the senator said. “We need to make sure the next Farm Bill is a good deal for New York.
"I plan to take the next several months to listen to farmers and businesses in every corner of the state and discuss my ideas on how to help farmers survive and prosper in the new economy.”
More than 35,000 farms stretch across 7.1 million acres – making up one-fourth of New York State. New York’s agriculture industry generates more than $4 billion for the state’s economy.
The Rochester/Finger Lakes Region alone is home to more than 6,000 farms stretching nearly 1.5 million acres and generating more than $1 billion for the state’s economy.
The following key issues were addressed in the first listening session, which took place Wednesday in the Rochester/Finger Lakes Region.
Providing Access to Capital
Like all small businesses, family farms are struggling to secure access to the financing they need to grow or, in many cases, survive in this difficult economy. Gillibrand plans to strengthen the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program to help New York farmers develop value-added products.
She also plans to bolster the Farm Services Agency (FSA) loan program to give farmers the resources they need to purchase land, livestock, equipment, feed, seed and other supplies. Gillibrand recently helped secure an additional $39 million for FSA operating loans to help give New York farms the capital they need.
Additionally, the senator will fight to exempt New York State from the USDA’s 10,000 population criteria – the maximum population to qualify for USDA water and wastewater funding.
Many parts of New York would be ineligible for funding under the new USDA guidelines since many New York towns include villages and other municipalities, putting a town’s population over the 10,000 threshold.
Addressing the Dairy Crisis
Due to outdated dairy-pricing regulations, dairy farmers pay more to produce their products than they make from selling them.
Senator Gillibrand has introduced legislation that would double the amount of money farmers get from the MILC program, retroactive to the low point of the crisis in March of 2009. While raising the MILC payment rate to 90 percent will not completely make up the gap between cost of production and market rates, it will certainly help prevent more New York farms from going under.
She also introduced legislation to index the MILC rate to inflation. The MILC program payments were originally designed to help dairy farmers in their time of need, but funding levels have remained stagnant.
In the next Farm Bill, Gillibrand intends to work with New York farmers to make these improvements and overhaul the milk-pricing system and secure a fair price for producers.
Additionally, she will work to make the opaque pricing system of the dairy market more transparent. Senator Gillibrand is cosponsoring the Mandatory Price Reporting Act to reauthorize the electronic price reporting of dairy prices, helping to increase transparency and change-price reporting from monthly to weekly.
Gillibrand has also introduced legislation to make Cold Storage Inventory Reporting to the National Agriculture Statistics Service mandatory, and give the USDA the authority to audit the survey. Experts agree that reducing the influence of the thinly traded Chicago Mercantile Exchange is the best way to increase market transparency.
Expanding New Markets
Senator Gillibrand intends to expand the Market Access Program (MAP) to enable our farmers to sell more New York products worldwide. The MAP program provides funding for the creation, expansion and maintenance of foreign markets for U.S. agricultural products.
She is also planning to introduce an infrastructure provision in the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program to help farmers reach new markets.
Additionally, Gillibrand will work to secure more federal funding to promote the USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program to give New York farms more opportunities to supply schools with fresh, locally grown products.
Targeted Assistance to Specialty-crop Farmers
Specialty-crop farmers stand to gain tremendous benefit from the conservation programs in the Farm Bill. Senator Gillibrand intends to bolster the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP), the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), as well as introduce a new program, called the Conservation on Muck Soils (COMS), to provide additional assistance to New York’s specialty crop farmers.
Investing in New Sources of Clean, Renewable, New York Energy
New York’s agriculture industry is rich with opportunity to help lead America to a clean energy economy that can create good-paying jobs and rebuild our economy, strengthen our national security, and cut pollution.
Gillibrand plans to work for more investments in the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) that provides loans and grants for farmers and small rural businesses that build renewable energy systems, such as anaerobic digesters.
She also intends to push for greater investments in the Rural Energy Self Sufficiency Initiative, which assists with installation of integrated renewable energy systems in rural communities that make use of wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal and biomass sources.
Additionally, she plans to work to secure more investments in the Biomass Research and Development Program and the Biomass Crop Assistant Program to harness more of our state’s potential to convert biomass and agricultural waste into renewable energy.
Here's a news release sent today from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
As Congress begins debate over the next Farm Bill, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that she will hold listening sessions around the state over the next several months to discuss new efforts to help New York farmers and farming communities.
(Times, dates and places have not yet been announced.)
As the first New Yorker to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in nearly 40 years, Gillibrand plans to focus on key areas of the Farm Bill that will have major influence on New York.
These area include access to financing, new market opportunities, assistance for specialty crops, and investments in renewable energy. From dairy farms, black dirt farms, and apple orchards to vineyards, artisanal cheeses, and other specialty crops, New York farmers and communities will have a lot to gain in the next Farm Bill.
“New York is home to the hardest working farm families and the finest locally grown produce in the world, but outdated regulations and a bad economy are hurting our farmers and farming communities across the state,” Senator Gillibrand said.
“We need to make sure the next Farm Bill is a good deal for New York. I plan to take the next several months to listen to farmers and businesses in every corner of the state and discuss my ideas on how to help farmers survive and prosper in the new economy.”
She will begin the listening sessions this month in Western New York, the Finger Lakes region and the Hudson Valley.
More than 35,000 farms stretch across 7.1 million acres statewide -- one-fourth of the state -- generating nearly $4.5 billion for New York’s economy.
Here are some notable statistics:
Issues to be Addressed in Listening Sessions
Providing Access to Capital
Like all small businesses, family farms are struggling to secure access to the financing they need to grow or, in many cases, survive in this difficult economy. Gillibrand plans to strengthen the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program to help New York farmers develop value-added products.
She also plans to bolster the Farm Services Agency (FSA) loan program to give farmers the resources they need to purchase land, livestock, equipment, feed, seed and other supplies. The senator recently helped secure an additional $39 million for FSA operating loans to help give New York farms the capital they need.
Additionally, Gillibrand will fight to exempt New York State from the USDA’s 10,000 population criteria – the maximum population to qualify for USDA water and wastewater funding. Many parts of New York would be ineligible for funding under the new USDA guidelines since many New York towns include villages and other municipalities, putting a town’s population over the 10,000 threshold.
Red Hook, Arcardia, Kirkland, Utica, Cortlandville, Herkimer, Waddington, Massena, Alden, Sullivan, Wawarsing, Kingsbury, Plattsburgh, Lansing, Lysander, Fallsburg, Lowville, LeRay and Moreau are already threatened from being denied access to these resources.
Addressing the Dairy Crisis
Due to outdated dairy-pricing regulations, dairy farmers pay more to produce their products than they make from selling them. Senator Gillibrand has introduced legislation that would double the amount of money farmers get from the MILC program, retroactive to the low point of the crisis in March of 2009.
While raising the MILC payment rate to 90 percent will not completely make up the gap between cost of production and market rates, it will certainly help prevent more New York farms from going under.
Senator Gillibrand also introduced legislation to index the MILC rate to inflation. The MILC program payments were originally designed to help dairy farmers in their time of need, but funding levels have remained stagnant.
In the next Farm Bill, Senator Gillibrand intends to work with New York farmers to make these improvements and overhaul the milk-pricing system and secure a fair price for producers.
Additionally, she will work to make the opaque pricing system of the dairy market more transparent. Senator Gillibrand is cosponsoring the Mandatory Price Reporting Act to reauthorize the electronic price reporting of dairy prices -- helping to increase transparency -- and change price reporting from weekly to monthly.
Senator Gillibrand has also introduced legislation to make Cold Storage Inventory Reporting to the National Agriculture Statistics Service mandatory, and give the USDA the authority to audit the survey. Experts agree that reducing the influence of the thinly traded Chicago Mercantile Exchange is the best way to increase market transparency.
Expanding New Markets
Senator Gillibrand intends to expand the Market Access Program (MAP) to enable our farmers to sell more New York products worldwide. The MAP program provides funding for the creation, expansion and maintenance of foreign markets for U.S. agricultural products.
Gillibrand is also planning to introduce an infrastructure provision in the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program to help farmers reach new markets.
Additionally, she will work to secure more federal funding to promote the USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program to give New York farms more opportunities to supply schools with fresh, locally grown products.
Targeted Assistance to Specialty Crop Farmers
Specialty crop farmers stand to gain tremendous benefit from the conservation programs in the Farm Bill. Senator Gillibrand intends to bolster: the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP); the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP); and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
Gillibrand will also introduce a new program -- called the Conservation on Muck Soils (COMS) -- to provide additional assistance to New York’s specialty crop farmers.
Investing in New Sources of Clean, Renewable, New York Energy
New York’s agriculture industry is rich with opportunity to help lead America to a clean energy economy that can create good-paying jobs and rebuild our economy, strengthen our national security and cut pollution.
Senator Gillibrand plans to work for more investments in the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) that provides loans and grants for farmers and small rural businesses that build renewable energy systems, such as anaerobic digesters.
She also intends to push for greater investments in the Rural Energy Self Sufficiency Initiative, which assists with installation of integrated renewable energy systems in rural communities that make use of wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal and biomass sources.
Additionally, Senator Gillibrand plans to work to secure more investments in the Biomass Research and Development Program and the Biomass Crop Assistant Program to harness more of our state’s potential to convert biomass and agricultural waste into renewable energy.
On Tuesday, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced her reform agenda to clean up Washington, and make Congress more accountable and responsible.
Here is her news release:
The centerpiece of Senator Gillibrand’s agenda includes new, bipartisan legislation that would require complete transparency for all federal earmark requests. Senator Gillibrand’s plan will also end automatic pay raises for members of Congress, rein in corporate special interest influence on elections, and once and for all ban all senators from placing obstructive, anonymous holds on important Presidential nominations or legislation in the Senate.
“I haven’t been in Washington long, but it doesn’t take long to know exactly what’s wrong with it,” Senator Gillibrand said. “Everyday people are not being heard because too much business is happening behind closed doors. Too often the system only benefits the special interests that have way too much power. My agenda puts the interests of families before all else by making government more transparent and accountable.
My reform agenda ends automatic pay raises for members of Congress, reins in special interest influence on our elections, forbids Senators from anonymously obstructing legislation, and makes the federal funding request process fully transparent so citizens can judge for themselves how politicians are spending their money.”
Senator Gillibrand has led by example, becoming the first Member of Congress to post all of her federal funding requests, official daily schedule and personal financial disclosure on her own website. Senate and House rules now require members to post federal funding requests. Senator Gillibrand’s federal funding requests, daily public schedule and personal financial disclosure are all available here <http://gillibrand.senate.gov/newsroom/schedule/>.
Now, she has joined Republican senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and John McCain (R-AZ) to author bipartisan legislation that makes the federal earmark process fully transparent and easy for citizens to access. The Earmark Transparency Act creates an easily searchable database of all federal earmarks, both authorizing and appropriating.
The database will include the following information about each federal funding request: amount of initial request made by requestor; amount approved by the committee of jurisdiction; amount approved in final legislation (if approved); type of organization receiving the request (public, private non-profit, or private for-profit entity); project name, description and estimated completion date; justification explaining how congressionally directed spending item would benefit taxpayers; description, if applicable, of all non-federal sources of funding for the congressionally directed spending item; requests and supplemental documents submitted to a committee of Congress.
The database will include information on all bills that pass either chamber beginning the day the bill is signed into law. Gillibrand’s legislation is co-sponsored by 24 members of the Senate and 28 reform organizations, including The Sunlight Foundation, Center for Responsive Politics, the Liberty Coalition and the Project on Government Oversight.
Gillibrand is also introducing new legislation in the Senate that bans private or for-profit companies from receiving federal funding.
With the corporate victory in the Citizens United U.S. Supreme Court case that allows corporations to spend limitless amounts of money on elections, the voice of corporate special interests will only grow and topple that of the average voter.
To help keep elections fair and honest, Senator Gillibrand is pushing the Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections (DISCLOSE) Act, legislation to reverse the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that allows special interests—including even foreign-controlled corporations—to spend limitless amounts of money to influence elections. This legislation ensures that corporations stand by their political actions by disclosing the primary funders of political advertising.
If a corporation is running the ad, the CEO will have to appear to at the end to say that he or she approved the message, just like a candidate must do today. If an advocacy organization is running the ad, both the head of the organization running the ad, and the top outside funder of the ad, will have to appear on camera.
Additionally, a list of the top five funders to that organization will be displayed on the screen in an effort stop the funneling of big money through shadow groups to fund virtually anonymous political advertising – following money to its origin, and making its sourcing public for the first time ever.
Organizations will have a choice in disclosing their donors: They can either disclose all of their donors that have given in excess $1,000, or they can disclose only those donors who contribute to the group’s Campaign-Related Activity Account, if they solely use that account for their spending.
All spending intended to influence an election—whether on television, radio, print, online, direct mail, telephone, and billboards—would flow through this account. Every donor who contributes more than $1,000 would have to be disclosed.
Organizations must disclose these donors to the FEC, the public on their websites, and to their shareholders and members through their annual and quarterly reports.
The legislation also: prevents foreign-controlled entities from spending unlimited sums in our elections through their U.S.-based subsidiaries; bans companies with government contracts in excess of $50,000 from making unlimited expenditures; ends expenditures by companies that receive government assistance, such as the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP); strengthens current law to grant lowest unit rate to candidates by giving those same rights to the parties – on a limited geographic basis.
From 1991 to 2007, Congress voted to raise its own pay 11 times, for a total increase of $63,600 in their annual salary, according to CRS. A one-year elimination was ultimately included in the final appropriations bill and members did not receive a pay raise in 2011. Gillibrand voted twice in the House of Representatives to end the automatic pay raise.
Senator Gillibrand has opposed congressional pay raises, and is a proud cosponsor of legislation to permanently end the automatic pay raise for members of Congress.
The automatic annual adjustment for members of Congress is determined by a formula using a component of the Employment Cost Index, which measures rate of change in private sector pay.
The adjustment automatically takes effect unless (1) Congress statutorily prohibits the adjustment; (2) Congress statutorily revises the adjustment; or (3) the annual base pay adjustment of General Schedule (GS) federal employees is established at a rate less than the scheduled increase for members, in which case members are paid the lower rate. Members may not receive an annual pay adjustment greater than 5 percent. This adjustment formula was established by the Ethics Reform Act of 1989.
Now Senator Gillibrand is joining with a bipartisan group of 20 of her colleagues to send a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to take up and pass S. 620, legislation that passed in the Senate last year to permanently end automatic pay raises. Passing this bill would save roughly $80 million over 10 years, and help demonstrate that Congress is willing to tighten its own belt as we work to reduce record deficits.
Currently, there are 132 anonymous holds on President Obama’s federal court nominations, and countless more on other legislation before the Senate. These holds bring the legislative process to a halt with no way to hold the obstructionist accountable. Together with 67 of her colleagues, Senator Gillibrand has written to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), calling on the leaders to once and for all end the practice of senators putting anonymous holds on legislation.
There are too many gang members in New York, in Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's view, and she wants to do something about it.
Today, Gillibrand announced a sweeping piece of legislation that she's co-sponsoring called the Youth PROMISE Act.
The act will:
... help keep children from joining gangs and fight gang-related crime. The legislation would draw on recommendations from a broad range of community leaders and experts to develop effective policies to prevent children from joining gangs and break up existing gangs.
Specifically, communities facing the greatest youth gang and crime challenges would initiate a coordinated response from law enforcement, court services, schools, social services, health and mental-health providers, and community-service and faith-based organizations.
Gillibrand said there are 50,000 gang members in New York, including 4,000 in WNY.
The specific measures proposed in the legislation:
Arm Law Enforcement with Resources to Fight Gang Activity, Drug Crime
Senator Gillibrand is cosponsoring the Gang Abatement and Prevention Act of 2009. The legislation toughens penalties for gang-related offenses, creates High Intensity Gang Activity Areas (HIGAAs) structured to target areas where gang activity is prevalent, authorizes federal grants through the Office of Justice Programs for gang prevention and intervention, initiates a national commission to develop effective gang and crime prevention strategies, and authorizes the Attorney General to expand the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program and the Safe Streets Program.
Additionally, the legislation launches an anti-heroin media campaign to educate the public about the dangers of heroin use, and the drug’s ability to destroy lives, families and entire communities.
Restore Funding for Safe and Drug Free Schools
Senator Gillibrand is fighting to restore funding cuts to state grants administered through the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools. Last year, the Obama Administration was forced to eliminate grants for state governments that funded anti-drug programs in local school districts – a total of $295 million annually.
Senator Gillibrand is gathering support from senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Thad Cochran (R-MS), chairman and ranking member of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee to restore this funding in the FY2011 Appropriations Bill.
Maintain Funding for Drug Free Communities Grant Program
Senator Gillibrand is also lobbying Senators Durbin and Collins to keep funding for the Drug Free Communities Grant Program for FY2011 – and fight a $9.5 million proposed funding cut for the program that provides community-based anti-drug coalitions to keep children, families and communities safe.
Fully Fund the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program
Senator Gillibrand is lobbying senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Susan Collins (R-MA), chairman and ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, to fully fund HIDTA in FY2011 – and fight a proposed 12-percent funding cut.
The HIDTA program gives local law enforcement agencies the resources they need to mount coordinated anti-drug efforts. Last year, Senator Gillibrand worked with Senator Schumer to secure HIDTA funding to fight drug crime in Clinton, Franklin and St. Lawrence counties.
Banks that are pushing customers into paperless statements shouldn't charge higher fees to customers that don't want to or can't do business electronically, says Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
“Thousands of seniors and families in this area do not have adequate access to the Internet or thousands more are simply not comfortable reviewing their finances electronically,” Sen. Gillibrand said in a statement.
“These New Yorkers shouldn’t be punished for wanting to receive their bank statements in the mail. My legislation will make sure that financial institutions cannot take advantage of seniors or struggling families by imposing more fees.”
Gillibrand has introduced an amendment to a banking bill that would ban fees for paper statements.
Out of the 22,700 households in Genesee County, 7,203 don't have internet access, according to Gillibrand.
In her press release, Gillibrand also cites national survey figures that say two-thirds of Americans prefer paper bank statements and writing checks for bills.
Every mom knows we deserve more than just one day a year when we have someone on our side, working for us.Well, for moms in New York, we do: Kirsten Gillibrand. Sign up to be a MOM FOR GILIBRAND at: http://kirstengillibrand.com/moms. After you sign up, we’ll send you our limited edition Moms for Gillibrand decal! Here are some reasons why Mom’s are supporting Kirsten:
This is from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's office.
National Grid USA is considering outsourcing much of its Northeast operations that would result in significant job losses across New York. Gillibrand is urging National Grid to reconsider its plans and keep jobs in New York.
The company is considering outsourcing much of its information-services work, including software programming, computer networking and other functions. One request for proposals (RFP) for outside vendors has already been issued, with possibly three more in the works. The plan could send as many as 1,200 jobs in New York and New England overseas.
Yet National Grid USA made nearly $1.5 billion in profits last year, due in large part to the quality American workforce it relies on.
In a letter to National Grid President Tom King, Gillibrand wrote:
“In this economic time, it is very disconcerting to hear that any company would consider outsourcing its jobs to overseas businesses when we have a competent and capable workforce here in the United States. A workforce that you have been utilizing since 2002. It is even more upsetting to know that a company who made $1.43 billion in profits last year would look for ways to cut costs by reducing it employees.”
The senator is working with businesses in all sectors in all regions of the state to keep their workforces in New York, and she is working on new legislation that would encourage businesses to start hiring again – putting New Yorkers back to work.
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand used her weekly call with the media today to make a different kind of pitch -- rather than promoting some bill she's signed on to, Gillibrand made an appeal to New York's employers: Hire a veteran.
On the day before Veteran's Day, the senator is reminding businesses that there are tax credits available when they hire military -- especially war -- veterans.
Unemployment among veterans is 14.6 percent, Gillibrand said.
She also announced legislation to help veterans become entrepreneurs. The Veterans Business Center Act of 2009 would help veterans gain access to capital and federal grant money to start new businesses or expand existing ones.
“Too many veterans are coming home to a very bad job market and unable to find work,” Gillibrand said in a statement. “They fulfilled their duty to our country, and now it’s time for us to fulfill our duty to them by making sure they have access to a good-paying job.
"The tax breaks we put in place earlier this year are a win-win for businesses and veterans, but we need to make sure businesses know they are available and take advantage of them by hiring more veterans. I'm making a personal pitch to the business owners I meet to hire a vet and take advantage of the tax credit.”
Full press release after the jump:
Washington, D.C. – With unemployment among young veterans in New York topping 14.6 percent, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is making a personal pitch today to New York business to hire veterans and receive a tax break from the federal government in return. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit, which was expanded earlier this as part of the Economy Recovery Plan, can help thousands of veterans who are returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan to find a still-reeling economy and scarce jobs.
To provide additional economic assistance for veterans, Senator Gillibrand is also introducing the Veterans’ Business Center Act of 2009 – legislation that would help veterans gain access to capital and federal grant money to start new businesses and grow existing ones, as well as new a proposal to provide assistance for homeless veterans.
“Too many veterans are coming home to a very bad job market and unable to find work,” Senator Gillibrand said. “They fulfilled their duty to our country, and now it’s time for us to fulfill our duty to them by making sure they have access to a good-paying job. The tax breaks we put in place earlier this year are a win-win for businesses and veterans, but we need to make sure businesses know they are available and take advantage of them by hiring more veterans. I'm making a personal pitch to the business owners I meet to hire a vet and take advantage of the tax credit.”
According to a new report from Senator Gillibrand, 7.3 percent of all veterans across New York State are unemployed.
To honor our veterans and give them the resources they need during these difficult economic times, Senator Gillibrand is launching a legislative agenda to provide economic assistance for veterans.
Jobs for Veterans, Tax Cuts for Businesses
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that Senator Gillibrand helped pass earlier this year expanded the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to include new incentives for businesses to hire returning veterans, and extended them through the end of 2010. But with so few businesses aware of the tax credit, the opportunity has gone under-utilized. Senator Gillibrand has been partnering with local Chambers of Commerce across New York State throughout this year to raise awareness among New York businesses of the tax credit, and encourage them to hire New York veterans returning home.
With Veteran’s Day this week and unemployment among New York veterans remaining high, Senator Gillibrand is writing to every single Chamber of Commerce in New York, urging them to work with their members and encourage area businesses to hire veterans and utilize the federal tax break.
In return for hiring a veteran, businesses may write off 40 percent of the first $6,000 paid to a veteran. The veteran needs to be out of the service for no more than five years, and must have spent at least 4 weeks of the previous year on unemployment.
Additionally, Senator Gillibrand is writing to the Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor, Jane Oates, requesting that the Labor Department’s Web site be updated with current information about the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to make sure businesses and veterans know about the opportunities available to them.
New Veterans Business Centers
Nationwide, 14 percent of all small businesses are owned by veterans. But like all entrepreneurs, veterans face the challenge of getting access to the capital they need to get new business ideas off the ground. To help give them the start-up money they need, Senator Gillibrand is introducing the Veterans’ Business Center Act of 2009 – legislation that would establish a national network of Veterans Business Centers (VBCs) to serve as a one-stop-shop for veterans trying to start a business.
Based on effective Women Business Center models, the new national network of VBCs would help veterans navigate federal grant programs to start new businesses, and offer expert guidance for veterans working to start or grow their businesses. The legislation would provide each VBC with up to $150,000 each year for up to five years, leveraging at least 50 percent from private investments or other sources.
The VBCs would be targeted for areas with high numbers of returning veterans with the ability to assist over 100,000 businesses nationwide within their first two years. Based on New York’s share of all small businesses, that means more than 10,000 businesses assisted in New York
Veterans Homeless Fund
Over 130,000 veterans are homeless, according to estimates from the Department of Veterans Affairs. With more and more veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and with the economic downfall keeping them out of the job market, veterans are at increasingly high risk of living in poverty and homelessness. In fact, according to a study by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, over 70,000 veterans recently home from Iraq and Afghanistan spend over half of their income on housing, despite not having access to a new job once they get home – putting them at extreme risk of going homeless.
To help give homeless veterans the resources they need, Senator Gillibrand is co-sponsoring legislation that would allow American taxpayers the opportunity to provide $3 of their taxes for homeless veterans by creating a new check-off box on federal tax returns, similar to the Presidential Election Campaign fund.
The $3 check-box would not be required, but would simply give every taxpayer the chance to send some much-needed help to homeless veterans.
Food safety has been in the news recently, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee, has a plan to improve food inspections, recall response and public education.
Gillibrand said she is calling for:
“In America, in 2009, it is unconscionable that food is still going straight to our kitchens, school cafeterias and restaurants without being properly tested to ensure its safety,” Sen. Gillibrand said. “It’s spreading too many diseases and costing too many lives. We need to do a better job of catching contaminated food before it ever comes close to a kitchen table. My plan addresses the gaps in the inspection process and improves recalls and public education, so parents have access to the information to keep their families safe.”
The New York Times recently ran an interesting investigative piece about ongoing issues with E. coli in ground beef.
Full press release after the jump:
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the first New York senator to sit on the Senate Agriculture Committee in nearly 40 years, today announced a comprehensive plan to overhaul the nation’s food safety laws by improving inspection, recall response, and public education. A cornerstone of Senator Gillibrand’s plan is new legislation to mandate E. coli inspections of ground beef.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every year an estimated 87 million Americans are sickened by contaminated food, 371,000 are hospitalized with food-borne illness, and 5,700 die from food-related disease. While the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made some progress improving food safety regulations, the nation’s food safety laws have not been significantly overhauled in more than a century, according to the Congressional Research Service.
“In America, in 2009, it is unconscionable that food is still going straight to our kitchens, school cafeterias and restaurants without being properly tested to ensure its safety,” Senator Gillibrand said. “It’s spreading too many diseases and costing too many lives. We need to do a better job of catching contaminated food before it ever comes close to a kitchen table. My plan addresses the gaps in the inspection process and improves recalls and public education, so parents have access to the information to keep their families safe.”
Across New York State, approximately 5 million people are afflicted with a food-borne illness each year.
· In New York City, an estimate of nearly 2.1 million are afflicted with a food-borne illness each year;
· In Western New York, an estimate of nearly 360,000 are afflicted with a food-borne illness each year;
· In the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region, an estimate of over 310,000 are afflicted with a food-borne illness each year;
· In Central New York, an estimate of over 250,000 are afflicted with a food-borne illness each year;
· In the Southern Tier, an estimate of nearly 170,000 are afflicted with a food-borne illness each year;
· In the Capital Region, an estimate of over 280,000 are afflicted with a food-borne illness each year;
· In the North Country, an estimate of nearly 125,000 are afflicted with a food-borne illness each year;
· In the Hudson Valley, an estimate of an estimate of over 570,000 are afflicted with a food-borne illness each year;
· On Long Island, an estimate of over 715,000 are afflicted with a food-borne illness each year.
Salmonella is the most common food-borne illness – causing over 1 million illnesses each year in the U.S., according to the CDC. Another 70,000 in America fall victim to E. coli each year. From meat and poultry to peanut butter, fruits and vegetables, almost every type of food we eat each day has the potential for contamination because of outdated, insufficient safeguards and testing processes.
Responsibility for enforcing America’s food safety measures is shared by 15 federal agencies – with the FDA and USDA responsible for the bulk of the oversight. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is often limited to reactive regulations once outbreaks have already begun instead of preventing contaminations from spreading, and risking the safety of our food and the health of millions.
Senator Gillibrand’s plan to improve food safety will streamline and strengthen regulations at the USDA and FDA. Senator Gillibrand’s efforts will also alter the fundamental approach to food safety by focusing on prevention to catch food-borne illnesses, and more quickly preventing further illness when an outbreak is detected.
STRENGTHEN INSPECTION AND SURVEILLANCE
Improve Testing of Ground Beef
During a 2008 industry-wide sampling of all ground beef produced, the CDC found that nearly 1 in every 200 samples of ground beef was contaminated with E. coli. Ground beef is especially vulnerable to E. coli because its source material is not from a single cut of meat, rather, from a compilation of trimmings from many parts, including fat that lies near the surface of possibly contaminated hide. While some grinders that process ground beef voluntarily test the meat before and after grinding, there is currently no federal requirement for grinders to test their ingredients for E. coli.
To reduce the risk of E. coli ending up in the hamburgers and other food we eat, Senator Gillibrand is authoring the E. Coli Eradication Act – new legislation that would require all plants that process ground beef to test their products regularly before it is ground and again before it is combined with other beef or ingredients, such as spices, and packaged. If ground beef is found to be contaminated, the bill requires the company to properly dispose of the contaminated batch, or cook the meat to a temperature that destroys the E. coli. Senator Gillibrand’s legislation will include appropriate penalties for companies that fail to implement testing mechanisms at their facilities.
Improve Regulation of All Other Food
Ground beef isn’t the only food infecting people with E. coli and salmonella. Fruits and vegetables can also be contaminated. Senator Gillibrand is co-sponsoring the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act – legislation authored by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) that would make comprehensive improvements to the safety of fruits and vegetables, and help prevent outbreaks before they start.
· Focus on Prevention, requiring all facilities to establish preventive plans to address hazards upfront, prevent adulteration, and give the FDA access to all of these plans and procedures.
· Expand Access to Records, giving the FDA access to the records of all food processing facilities.
· Establish Oversight of High Quality Testing Laboratories, by granting the FDA authority to check the credibility of the laboratories testing the safety of food, requiring the labs to report all of their findings to the FDA, and certify that foreign food facilities comply with U.S. food safety standards.
· Improve Detection, by increasing inspections at all food facilities, including annual inspections of high-risk facilities, and inspections of all facilities once every four years; enhancing food-borne illness surveillance systems to improve the collection, analysis, reporting, and usefulness of data on food-borne illnesses; and creating a pilot project to test and evaluate new methods to quickly and accurately track and trace fruits and vegetables in the event of a food-borne illness outbreak.
· Enhance U.S. Food Defense Capabilities by helping food companies protect their products from intentional contamination, and commence a national strategy to protect our food supply from terrorist threats, and rapidly respond to food emergencies.
· Increase FDA Resources, increasing federal investments to give the FDA all the resources it needs to implement comprehensive food safety improvements.
Improve Safety of Imported Food
15 percent of America’s overall food supply is imported from overseas, including 60 percent of fruits and vegetables and 80 percent of seafood.
America imports $5.2 billion worth of food from China alone – including 10 percent of our shrimp. In 2007, the FDA issued important alerts for five kinds of farm-raised fish and shrimp from China due to unsafe additives, inadequate labeling and poor manufacturer registrations, as well as potentially harmful veterinary drug residues in farm-raised fish and shrimp.
To ensure the safety of food we import matches the standards of food grown and processed in America, Senator Gillibrand is calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prioritize the hiring of inspectors to protect consumers from contaminated imported food.
In 2003, when the DHS took over the inspection of agricultural products on the border, the position of “agriculture specialists” was created. While the number of people in this position has been slowly increasing, we are still one-third short of the number of specialists needed to test the ever increasing array of agricultural products coming into the country.
The overall agricultural inspection rate for cargo has declined from nearly 70 percent in 2001 to about 40 percent in 2008 and down to 13 percent for passenger inspections. Better inspections will not only protect humans from pathogens, but will protect American farms from agricultural pests and disease.
Additionally, Senator Gillibrand will work to require importers to verify the safety of foreign suppliers and imported food by allowing the FDA to require certification for high-risk foods, and deny entry to a food that lacks certification, or that is from a foreign facility that has refused U.S. inspections.
IMPROVE RECALL RESPONSE
Recall Contaminated Food in School Lunches
Last month, in response to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report <http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09649.pdf> that revealed federal agencies are not adequately alerting schools about recalls, Senator Gillibrand introduced the Safe Food for Schools Act – legislation that would protect the 31 million schoolchildren who participate in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs by requiring federal agencies to issue proper alerts to schools.
Make Recalls of Contaminated Food Mandatory
For additional improvements to our food recall processes, Senator Gillibrand will work with her colleagues to give the FDA the authority to order a mandatory recall of a food product when a company fails to voluntarily recall the produce upon FDA’s request. Right now, recalls are only voluntary.
IMPROVE PUBLIC EDUCATION
To make sure information about food-borne illnesses and recalls is distributed accurately and efficiently, Senator Gillibrand is authoring the Consumer Recall Notification Act – legislation that would direct the Secretaries of the Department of Health and Human Services and the USDA, as well as the Commissioner of the FDA to improve communication among states, state and local health departments, food distributors and vendors to provide consumers with faster and more complete information.
Specifically, the legislation would:
· Provide information to health professionals to improve diagnosis and treatment of food-related illness;
· Develop a procedure to distribute regional and national advisories concerning food safety;
· Allow the FDA to share trade secrets, and commercial or financial information, and its list of registered facilities with other federal, state, local and foreign agencies – provided those agencies can assure confidentially of the information;
· Allow the FDA to share confidential information with the public when necessary to protect public health;
· Develop standardized formats for written and broadcast advisories;
· Mandate on-site notification of a recalled product by posting notification in the freezer case or shelving unit where the product is, or has been sold.
Continuing a tradition started by Hillary Clinton, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is hosting New York Farm Day in Washington, D.C. today.
Dairy and produce from throughout the state will be available to more than the 1,000 people expected to attend.
“I’m proud to continue the Farm Day tradition in Washington, DC, where we will highlight the fantastic produce and foods from across New York State,” said Sen. Gillibrand in a press release. “New York’s farmers are a critical part of our economy and we must ensure their success. Strengthening our agricultural sector and promoting good nutrition for New Yorkers are essential to our long-term health and economic growth.”
Unfortunately, Western New York is rather under represented in the event, but if you read the press release below, there is an impressive amount of agriculture in New York (and this is just the part represented). I'm sure most people in the country don't think of New York as an agriculture state.
Full press release after the jump:
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced today that she will host the eighth annual “New York Farm Day” on Wednesday, October 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM in the Senate Kennedy Caucus Room in the Russell Building in Washington D.C. Senator Gillibrand has invited producers of New York’s award-winning wines, farm-fresh products and fresh seafood, as well as leading restaurateurs to travel to Washington to showcase the quality and diversity of New York’s agriculture, and its importance to the state’s economy. Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton hosted New York Farm Day during her time as New York’s junior senator, and Senator Gillibrand is continuing the tradition.
“I’m proud to continue the Farm Day tradition in Washington, DC, where we will highlight the fantastic produce and foods from across New York State,” Senator Gillibrand said. “As a member of the Agriculture Committee, I am focused on improving the health and well-being of our families. From rising childhood obesity and outdated nutritional standards to the crisis facing our dairy farmers and the opportunities with specialty crops, agriculture issues in Washington affect families in every corner of New York. New York’s farmers are a critical part of our economy and we must ensure their success. Strengthening our agricultural sector and promoting good nutrition for New Yorkers are essential to our long-term health and economic growth.”
Over the years, New York Farm Day has become one of the most popular events at our nation’s Capitol. Nearly 1,000 people are expected to attend. With approximately one-quarter of New York made up of farmland and an agriculture sector contributing nearly $4 billion to the state’s economy each year, Farm Day offers an ideal opportunity to showcase the importance and quality of New York’s agricultural industry.
Farm Day is organized by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation in conjunction with numerous other organizations and individuals who have contributed their time, products and services for the good of New York, including: CoBank, Constellation Brands, Farm Credit of Western New York, First Pioneer Farm Credit, MasterCraft Glassware, New York Farm Bureau, the New York State Restaurant Association, the New York State Maple Producers Association, the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, Pride of New York (New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets), and Yankee Farm Credit.
A complete list of all the participants in this year’s Farm Day can be found at the bottom of the release.
Senator Gillibrand is the first New York Senator in nearly 40 years to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee. As Chair of the Subcommittee on Domestic and Foreign Marketing, Inspection, and Plant & Animal Health, Senator Gillibrand plans to hold hearings on food safety modernization, marketing healthy food to children and dairy pricing.
DAIRY:
Senator Gillibrand is working to support New York’s dairy farmers during these difficult economic times. In June, Senator Gillibrand introduced legislation that would double the amount of money farmers get from the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program retroactive to the low point of the crisis in March. She also introduced legislation that would index the MILC rate of $16.94 to inflation. The MILC program payments were originally designed to help dairy farmers in their time of need, but have remained stagnant. The price floor of $16.94 per hundredweight has not changed since the 1990’s, yet the cost of production has increased exponentially.
In July, after meeting with Senator Gillibrand, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced immediate action to support struggling dairy farmers by increasing the amount paid for dairy products through the Dairy Product Support Program (DPPSP). The increase went into effect in August and will continue through the end of October. The increase is expected to generate an additional $243 million in revenue for dairy farmers.
In August, Senator Gillibrand held a field hearing in Batavia, New York that focused on identifying major problems with the current dairy pricing system and determining effective solutions moving forward. This was the first of a series of hearings she plans to hold both in Washington, D.C. and New York State that will focus on needed reforms for the daily pricing system. Senator Gillibrand is working with stakeholders and economists to develop a proposal before the next Farm Bill is written in 2012.
Just last week, Senator Gillibrand announced $350 million for the USDA to help New York farmers struggling during the dairy crisis in the final Agriculture Appropriations Bill. The agreement includes $60 million in cheese and dairy product purchases for food banks and other nutrition and feeding programs, and $290 million in direct support to dairy farmers using guidelines to be determined by the Secretary of Agriculture. Senator Gillibrand said the direct payments will be important to help keep dairy farmers solvent during this current crisis.
SPECIALTY CROPS:
In July, Senator Gillibrand introduced legislation that would allow New York fruit growers to take full advantage of federal recovery tax breaks. As a way of encouraging businesses to make more capital investments in the short term, the Recovery Act allowed companies to depreciate capital investment property “placed in service” in 2009 at a faster rate. However, under current law, fruit and nut trees are not considered “placed in service” until the taxable year in which they actually produce fruit that can be sold, which often takes years. Senator Gillibrand’s legislation would change – only for the purpose of bonus depreciation – the “placed in service” date for permanent crops to the date on which the crop is planted, putting fruit growers on par with other farmers eligible for bonus depreciation for capital expenditures made this year.
Senator Gillibrand has been a strong advocate for programs that develop fresh, local food for New York’s families and supports programs providing technical assistance, training, and equipment for the procurement of local foods in our schools. This summer, Senator Gillibrand secured a commitment from the USDA to create a task force to promote and develop sustainable local and regional food systems.
And just last month, after leading the fight on behalf of New York farmers, Senator Gillibrand secured a commitment from the USDA to allow New York farmers to process fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables for children to snack on in New York schools. In February, Senator Gillibrand sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting that he change an administrative rule barring local farmers from delivering pre-cut and packaged fruit and vegetables to schoolchildren.
SAVING FARMS FROM FORECLOSURE:
New York has been hit hard by the economic crisis, and Senator Gillibrand is working to help families keep their farms. In a March letter, Senator Gillibrand and 17 of her Senate colleagues called on the USDA and Treasury Department to consider a foreclosure mitigation program that includes loan restructuring for farmers, as they have already done for home loans. In response to Senator Gillibrand’s efforts, a report by the Congressional Oversight Panel (COP) for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) was released outlining different methods that could be used to help farmers and ranchers restructure their loans as an alternative to foreclosure either through a mandatory program or a voluntary program that could be opened up to more than just TARP recipients.
AGRICULTURE DISASTERS:
From the devastating freeze in Northern New York early this spring to the excessive rainfall and flooding this summer, Senator Gillibrand has pushed the USDA for prompt responses to the natural disasters faced by New York’s farmers. A disaster declaration clears the way for affected farmers to apply for emergency loans, which can often mean the difference between staying in business and closing the farm.
With much of federal agricultural aid going to farmers outside of New York, Senator Gillibrand is committed to ensuring that New York’s farmers receive the federal help they deserve. She will continue to fight to ensure that farmers in need receive the disaster aid they deserve.
The USDA has issued disaster declarations for 16 New York Counties: Albany, Broome, Chautauqua, Columbia, Clinton, Dutchess, Erie, Greene, Oneida, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Suffolk, Sullivan and Ulster.
COMBATING CHILD OBESITY, PROMOTING CHILD NUTRITION:
In her time in the Senate, Senator Gillibrand has established herself as a leader in efforts to combat childhood obesity and promote healthy nutrition for children and families. She has launched a comprehensive strategy to improve the quality of school lunches, eliminate junk food from our schools, and provide more physical exercise opportunities.
The current federal reimbursement rate for school lunches has not kept pace with inflation or the increased costs of providing quality meals. Senator Gillibrand proposes increasing the current reimbursement rate by 70 cents in the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill – from $2.57 per meal to $3.27 per meal. In today’s typical school lunch, a child may have chicken nuggets, chips, canned peas and canned fruit cocktail. Under this new plan, a student could have grilled chicken breast on a seven-grain roll, steamed broccoli and a fresh fruit cup.
Senator Gillibrand is also working to provide targeted relief to high cost areas like New York City and other communities around the state, including Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Ulster, Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Dutchess Counties. Her legislation entitled the LUNCHES Act would provide targeted relief to high cost areas.
Senator Gillibrand also authored legislation that would ban trans-fats in public schools. Any school that receives federal reimbursements would be required to remove food containing trans fat from the school. Schools would have a five year window to implement the policy.
Senator Gillibrand is working on legislation that would expand USDA authority to regulate all food served in schools, including vending machines. This would force all food served on school grounds during school hours to meet federal nutritional standards. This legislation will enable the USDA to eliminate sugary sodas and candy from school during school hours, so that children are more likely to eat the fruits, vegetables and other nutritious food served in cafeterias.
Senator Gillibrand is also pushing the Student Breakfast and Education Improvement Act, which would provide $2 million in competitive grants to schools with creative breakfast programming including serving breakfast during the school day, incorporating local foods into breakfasts and providing nutritional education to students.
FARM DAY PARTICIPANTS
LONG ISLAND:
Cool Fish Restaurant— Cool Fish Restaurant of Long Island will be serving roasted Satur Farms Butternut Squash Salad with Smoked Jurgielewicz Farms Duck Breast, apple, Catapano Farm Feta and Arugula, finished with a Cider-Honey Vinaigrette and Pumpkin Shooters.
Long Island Farm Bureau— The Long Island Farm Bureau will be providing Schmitt’s fresh Mixed Greens and Catapano Goat Cheese topped with a Vinaigrette Dressing, North Fork Potato Chips, Fresh Oysters and Hard Clams farmed by F.M. Flower & Son and Noank Aquaculture Cooperative, and smoked duck from Crescent Duck Farm.
Long Island Wines – For over a quarter century, the Long Island wine industry has grown from one small vineyard to over 3,000 acres of vines and over thirty wineries producing world-class wines. These quality wines, including Bedell Cellars, Martha Clara Vineyards, and Wölffer Estate, will be on full display at Farm Day.
HUDSON VALLEY:
Culinary Institute of America – The world’s premier culinary college, the Culinary Institute has a campus in Hyde Park, New York that operates five award-winning, student-staffed public restaurants. They will be providing hand-made candies, Quigley Farm Raspberry Jelly, Glorie Farm Peach Jelly, and Russel Farm Maple Fudge at Farm Day.
Hudson Valley Wines – One of America’s oldest wine making and grape-growing regions, the Hudson Valley has more than 20 operating wineries producing premier wine products. Wines on hand this year will be from Brotherhood, America’s Oldest Winery, Benmarl Winery, Clinton Vineyards, and Millbrook Vineyards & Winery.
Tuthilltown Spirits – New York’s first whiskey distillery since Prohibition, distilling some of America’s most prized spirits in the Hudson Valley. Their handmade spirits, which start at farm distilleries as raw grain and fruit, are genuine Hudson brand whiskeys that include Hudson Manhattan Rye Whiskey, Hudson Single Malt Whiskey, Hudson Baby Bourbon, Hudson Four Grain Bourbon, Hudson New York Corn Whiskey, Heart of the Hudson Vodka, and Spirit of the Hudson Vodka, all of which will available at this year’s event.
CENTRAL NEW YORK:
New York Farm Viability Institute - Located in Syracuse, New York, the New York Farm Viability Institute is a farmer-led nonprofit group that works with farms to foster a vibrant agriculture business sector in New York State. They will be on hand with information on how they can support applied research, outreach education, information transfer, adoption of technology, business planning and market analysis, all of which can help our farmers expand their businesses.
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry - Dr. Thomas Buchholz from the SUNY College of Environmental Science in Syracuse, New York will be distributing shrub willow cuttings with directions for planting as well as additional information highlighting willow as an alternative agricultural crop that is a financially rewarding source of bioenergy and bioproducts.
ROCHESTER/FINGER LAKES:
Cornell University College of Agriculture & Life Sciences— As one of New York’s premier schools of agriculture, Cornell will be presenting three unique flavors of ice cream, including Slammin’ Yam, Beehive Crunch, and Sticky Buns.
Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty – The Culinary Bounty links the farms and wineries of the Finger Lakes region to small-scale food processors to provide area residents and tourists with fresh, locally produced creative cuisine. This year, they will be featuring Knapp Farms Jam, Finger Lakes Farmstead Cheese, Crackerman of Etna Crackers, Golden Oaks Foods Nunda Mustard, Hill ‘n Hollow Fruit Chutney, Finger Lakes Honey, Geneva Crabapple Sauce, Chef Lerman BBQ sauce and salad dressings, Java Gourmet Chocolate Bark, Allens Hill Farm Apple Cider Molasses cookies, Hill’n Holloe & Cherry Knoll Vinegars.
Finger Lakes Wines – Finger Lakes Wine Country, New York now boasts over 80 wineries, making it the largest wine producing region east of California. Wines available at Farm Day will come from Anthony Road Wine Company, Arbor Hill Grapery, Dr. Konstantin Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars, McGregor Vineyard Winery, Ravines Wine Cellars, Hosmer Winery, King Ferry Winery (Treleaven), Red Newt Cellars, Sheldrake Point, Casa Larga Vineyards, Chateau LaFayette Reneau, Imagine Moore Winery, Lakewood Vineyards and Wagner Vineyards.
Finger Lakes Wine Alliance with Food by Simply Red Bistro – The Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, an organization with the mission to increase the visibility and reputation of the wineries of the Finger Lakes Region, will be displaying a flavorful combination of food from Simply Red Bistro of Sheldrake Point, New York, including flatbread made from fingerling potatoes, shitake mushrooms and truffle oil.
Fox Run Vineyards & Café— Situated on Torrey Ridge overlooking Seneca Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes Region, Fox Run will be presenting Lively Run Goat Farms Goat Cheese and Sage Scones with Fox Run Vineyards Blackberry Port Jam.
Freshwise Farms – A hydroponic greenhouse, Freshwise Farms provides the highest quality, pesticide-free greens year-round, fighting hunger as a social enterprise through its affiliation with the Foodlink Foundation. They will be displaying Spring Roll stuffed with Freshwise Farm’s own fresh Wasabi Greens, Peppers, Leeks and Carrots, Sautéed in Sesame Oil.
New York Wine & Culinary Center – The Wine & Culinary Center is designed to engage, excite and inspire the people of New York State and the world in a celebration of New York wine and food. The Center is an educational and experiential gateway to New York State’s incredible wine, food and culinary industries. They will be handing out tasty truffles at Farm Day.
Red Newt Cellars & Bistro – The Red Newt Bistro represents the finest in fresh regional cuisine of the Finger Lakes, with every menu built with the diner and the farmer in mind. They will be displaying Apple Black Bean Salsa, featuring Honey Crisp apples from Thyme Stands Still Produce, black beans from Cayuga Pure Organics, Remembrance Farms Onions, Finger Lakes Food Company verjuice, and Red Newt’s own herbs.
The Source – The Source is a premier dining restaurant in the nation’s capital headlined by Exective Chef, Scott Drewno, who is a native of the Finger Lakes Region, and will be providing Organic Chicken with Buckwheat Dumplings.
WESTERN NEW YORK:
Alfred State College – As one of SUNY’s premier colleges of technology, Alfred State will be presenting Aioli, featuring Pioneer Farm garlic.
Lake Erie, Chautauqua & Niagara Wines – In addition to French-American and European winegrape varieties, Western New York is home to a large bounty of Concord grapes used for grape juice, making New York the largest grape juice producing state in the country. Wines on hand come from Johnson Estate Winery, Mazza Chautauqua Cellars, Merritt Estate Winery, Niagara Landing Wine Cellars, The Winery at Marjim Manor.
National Grape Cooperative/Welch’s— For well over a century, the National Grape Cooperative based in Westfield, which owns Welch’s, has been a leading supplier of Concord grape juice, and will be displaying Sparkling Red & White Grape Juice and 100% Black Cherry Concord Grape Juice.
CAPITAL REGION:
State University of New York (SUNY) Cobleskill – The State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill will be featuring Maple Iced Oatmeal Applesauce Cookie featuring Sharon Orchards apples, Singer Farms dried cherries, Cayuga Pure Organics flour, Maple Hill maple syrup, and Cooper’s Ark Farm eggs.
NORTH COUNTRY:
Ice Wines of New York—Ice wines are a highly specialized dessert wine made from grapes that are left hanging on the vine, becoming very sweet, until they are actually frozen and then harvested. The luscious ice wines at Farm Day will be from Hunt Country Vineyards and Sheldrake Point Vineyards in the Finger Lakes region, and Johnson Estate Winery in the Lake Erie region.
McCadam Cheese— Established in Heuvelton, New York in 1876, McCadam Cheese produces up to 20 different cheeses and will be displaying McCadam Extra Sharp Cheddar (2007 New York State Fair Grand Champion & 2007 U.S. Cheese Competition best in the U.S.), McCadam Pepper Jack (2006 2nd Place Scovie Awards Winner), McCadam Muenster, and McCadam Horseradish Cheddar.
Mercer’s Ice Cream— Mercer’s Ice Cream of New York’s North Country will have on hand its famous wine ice cream, featuring A La Port, Royal White Riesling, Cherry Merlot, Red Raspberry Chardonnay, and Chocolate Cabernet Wine Ice Cream, and Organic Vanilla Ice Cream.
New York Maple Producers Association— The New York State Maple Producers Association supports the maple products industry in New York State, with over 500 maple producers as members. They will be providing maple mustard, maple coated cashews, and maple cream on wheat crackers
North Country Specialties—North Country Specialties will be providing Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spinach & Artichoke and Sun-dried Tomato and Basil on crackers, Adirondack Beef Company All Natural Beef Jerky, Well Dressed Food Adirondack Crunchy Maple-Walnut and Apple-Crumble Granola, Gunnison Orchard’s Honey Crisp Apples, Whitestone Farm North Country Lamb Sticks, Dogwood Bread Company French Baguette, Asgaard Farm & Dairy Barkeater Buche Goat Cheese.
NEW YORK CITY:
East New York Farms!/United Community Centers – As a collaborative effort to organize youth and adult residents to address food issues in New York City, East New York Farms!/United Community Centers will be providing fresh fruits and vegetables grown right in the heart of New York City using innovative urban gardening techniques. At this year’s Farm Day, they will have New Visions Garden Bittermelon, long beans and peppers from UCC Youth Farm, Hands and Heart Farms collard greens, and honey and herbs from East New York’s own gardens.
Rosa Mexicano – A popular Manhattan restaurant that has a Washington presence and features traditional Mexican cuisine, Rosa Mexicano will be displaying Guacamole en Molcajete featuring New York Onions, Tomatoes, and Cilantro.
Also featured as exhibitors at this year’s Farm Day will be the New York Wine & Grape Foundation and Pride of New York (New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets).
Press release:
Washington, D.C. – At the urging of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the Department of Health and Human Services today provided spending and reporting guidelines for counties that received child care funds in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Until today, local officials have been unable to spend these funds because the federal government had not yet provided guidelines for the program. Counties can spend these federal dollars to meet a broad range of needs for their child care centers, including restoring kindergarten seats, saving child care programs from getting cut, and paying for salaries.
“This is great news for counties across New York that have been waiting for the federal guidelines needed to put these funds to use for families that rely on these centers for quality, affordable child care,” Senator Gillibrand said. “I would like to thank Secretary Sebelius for responding so quickly to my request and for understanding that in these tough economic times we need to speed the process of providing federal assistance for these important services.”
New York State’s Office of Children & Family Services received $96.8 million in May to help provide New York families with affordable child care over the next two years through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which Senator Gillibrand helped pass earlier this year. Approximately $84 million will be allocated to counties across New York over the next two years -- helping approximately 123,000 New York children enrolled in county child care programs.
In a letter sent Tuesday to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Senator Gillibrand asked that the agency immediately take steps to issue federal guidelines to New York State for distribution of the funds.
Full text of the letter:
September 22, 2009
The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius
United States Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20201
Dear Secretary Sebelius:
I write to express my urgent concern regarding New York State’s inability to release the $96.7 million in federal child care stimulus funds that it has received under the under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“ARRA”). New York State’s Office of Children and Family Services received these funds in early May of this year, but has been unable to distribute them to its social service districts because it has been unable to obtain federal guidance on the allowable uses and reporting requirements for these funds pursuant to Section 1512 of the ARRA.
Thousands of working families in communities throughout New York State have not been able to access the assistance they desperately need in order to pay for childcare. Without access to quality childcare, parents risk missing work and losing jobs they need to support their families.
I was a strong supporter of the economic recovery plan, and I continue to support the tremendous work you and President Obama are doing to provide emergency assistance to middle income and low income Americans in need during this economic crisis. I know you agree that we must make sure that families receive assistance as soon as possible.
I urge you to act quickly to provide guidance to the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, and similar agencies throughout the nation, so that working families no longer risk losing access to quality childcare.
Very truly yours,
Kirsten E. Gillibrand
United States Senator
New York's apple growers have won approval to provide cleaned, sliced and bagged apples to area schools.
The USDA has eased restrictions on what "processed food" means for the purpose of distributing locally grown agriculture products to local school children.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, in a press release this morning, said she lobbied the USDA for the change.
“We have to let our farmers do what they do best, and that’s deliver fresh fruits and vegetable to local communities,” said Senator Gillibrand. “New York farmers produce some of the highest quality, fresh produce in the country. The Farm Bill was supposed to make it easier for farmers to sell produce directly to New York schools, and this USDA ruling will finally ensure that our students will have healthy New York produce and our farmers can earn the extra income that comes from providing value-added products such as pre-cut apples. During difficult economic times, we need this new market to create jobs.”
Full press release after the jump:
Washington, DC – After leading the fight on behalf of New York farmers, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand secured a commitment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that will allow New York farmers to process fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables for children to snack on in New York schools. In February, Senator Gillibrand sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting that he change an administrative rule barring local farmers from delivering pre-cut and packaged fruit and vegetables to schoolchildren. This week, on a phone call with the USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, Senator Gillibrand received a commitment that the USDA will reverse this interpretation and open up the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program to allow local farmers to participate.
“We have to let our farmers do what they do best, and that’s deliver fresh fruits and vegetable to local communities,” said Senator Gillibrand. “New York farmers produce some of the highest quality, fresh produce in the country. The Farm Bill was supposed to make it easier for farmers to sell produce directly to New York schools, and this USDA ruling will finally ensure that our students will have healthy New York produce and our farmers can earn the extra income that comes from providing value-added products such as pre-cut apples. During difficult economic times, we need this new market to create jobs.”
State Senator Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, chair of the New York State Senate's Agriculture Committee said, “When we make local food available in our schools, our children get the freshest and finest produce available. We asked Secretary Villsack and the USDA to review this because the enforcement of de minimis handling had been contrary to what the bill’s authors and all of us in the farm community were looking for. I’m pleased to see that they are reviewing this and that New York farmers will have the opportunity to provide fresh snacks for our school children.”
“City Harvest is pleased to learn that the USDA is taking another look at the language in the Farm Bill around de minimis processing, so that items like sliced fresh apples from New York State farms can be part of healthy school lunches. Organizations that care about hunger and nutrition in New York City, and who care about improving school meals, have been asking for this change for some time,” said Jilly Stephens, Executive Director of City Harvest.
The Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program in the 2008 Farm Bill authorizes schools to buy local produce that has not been processed for students to eat outside of school cafeteria programs. This program operates best when this local produce has been washed, sliced and bagged, since it is eaten outside of the lunchroom. Until now, the USDA interpretation of what it means for local produce to be considered “processed” has prevented local farms from participating.
In the Farm Bill’s Joint Explanatory Statement, the authors of the bill said the term “unprocessed” should not be taken literally, but rather “logically implemented” to allow the preparation necessary to deliver farm products “to a school food authority in a usable form.”
In February, Senator Gillibrand teamed up with New York State Senator Aubertine, to ask the USDA to “…remain mindful of the vitality and value of New York's farms, the health of our school children, and the positive benefits of promoting local agriculture.”
In their letter, Senator Gillibrand and State Senator Aubertine stated that Farm to Fork programs create wealth and lead to increased employment through agriculture, “creating a ripple effect that strengthens our struggling rural communities. Additionally, locally grown and distributed food is likely to be fresher and more nutritious, a key to fighting childhood public health problems from obesity to diabetes.”
Here's the verbatim testimony of Byron dairy farmer Robin Denniston-Keller given at the Senate hearing on the dairy industry held at GCC on Thursday.
It's titled "Legislative Responses to the Dairy Crisis: Reforming the Pricing Structure."
"...I am a proud American dairy farmer. My husband and I milk 100 Jersey cows and take care of another 100 young stock on our farm 10 minutes northeast of here in Byron, New York. It’s a privilege and honor to be asked to speak today.
"I’m not an economist or an expert on milk pricing, but I do feel I have common sense and a strong work ethic, which have served me well so far in life. I milk my own cows every day, and being up to my elbows in the results of lactation and excretion (generally not at the same time!) gives me a certain sense of reality!
"On our farm, our “pay price” for our milk produced in July 2009 was $13.26 per hundredweight. Put in consumer terms, $1.14 a gallon. This includes all protein and quality premiums received from Sorrento, the cheese plant we supply with pure, fresh Jersey milk.
"Last year our July pay price was $24.23 per hundredweight, or $2.08 a gallon. I could spend my next three minutes ranting about the volatility and injustice of this, but that’s not constructive, and you can figure out on your own how I do the math to pay for our own health insurance, groceries, feed for the cows and calves, fuel for the tractors, hauling and fuel surcharge costs to send the milk to the processor, and the numerous other bills staring me in the face each month!
"Our 100-cow dairy benefits from the MILC program. We are at the perfect size to maximize our usage of the program. Our MILC government payments are currently a little more than 10% of our monthly income.
"Solutions to milk pricing issues -- please remember, as I said before, I’m not an economist or a milk pricing expert! Time heals all wounds, however, how do we stop the bleeding now?
Increase solid-non-fat fluid milk standards.
I like to call this the “No more blue skim milk” suggestion. Since 1962, California has had higher minimum standards for nonfat solids in fluid milk than the rest of the United States. Raising the United States standards to match the California standards will accomplish the following:
Urge Agriculture Secretary Vilsack to have USDA purchase cheese for nutrition programs.
Cheese inventories are poised to be much higher than normal heading into this fall. This supply is weighing on the market and suppressing prices. A purchase of 100 million pounds of cheese would bring inventories more in line with past levels, and would bolster farm milk prices. Even a modest rise in milk prices would provide relief for dairy producers, reduce MILC expenditures, and lower CCC purchases of cheese.
Overhaul the dairy price discovery program.
I believe that our current milk-pricing structure is based on the trading of 2% of the cheese in this country on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. This small amount of cheese determines my mailbox price. Or, in other words -- what the check I get in the mail says I will be paid for the product I’ve spent the last month getting covered in manure and other fine things to harvest!
This whole process goes against my good old common sense. Large milk processors were convicted for price manipulation as recently as 2006; clearly a more fair and broad based pricing mechanism is needed. We need a new set of tools in our milk-pricing toolbox.
Sometimes I wonder why I am in a business where, I buy everything retail and sell my product wholesale, and the pricing mechanism is based on what I would call a “house of cards”? Way of life, being my own boss, pride of ownership, producing good food for an expanding world; they’re all good reasons. But if I’m not treated fairly, it’s time for me to wake up and find another life. I digress. Back to my suggestions.
Imports -- Charge promotion fees on imports.
United States dairymen contribute 15 cents for every hundredweight of milk we produce towards dairy promotion. I believe the new Farm Bill instructs USDA to charge importers
seven and a half cents for every hundredweight of dairy products imported. Dairy promotion basically helps create a larger market for dairy products. Importers benefit from that increased demand for dairy that our domestic producers have paid for, so it only seems fair to have importers contribute into the promotion program.
At issue here is the fact that USDA has not implemented this fee, and it discourages me to see the lack of timeliness on legislation implemented into law. Seven and a half cents is not much, but I think charging importers this fee would decrease the amount of imported dairy products flooding our domestic market.
I believe in fair trade, and I feel this fee charged to importers would somewhat level the playing field, and I’m encouraged that this promotion fee works for WTO reasons as well.
Proceed with Extreme Caution before implementing Growth Management or Supply Management Programs.
While some producers and organizations are promoting growth management or supply management plans as a long-term solution to the dairy economy problems, I have some issues with these plans. Again, not an expert, and applying my common sense, I’m concerned that without solid knowledge of the impact of any such plans, I am not in favor of “jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.”
Mandatory supply management goes against all my gut instincts, and my belief in the efficiency and productivity of the American Dairy Farmer. Last year’s high milk prices at the farm level resulted from a booming export market for American dairy products. We live in a global economy, and putting handcuffs on the American dairy industry with mandatory supply management seems to me to set us up for failure. We only have to look “across the pond” to see Europe struggling to get away from its quota system.
Finally, a sincere thank you to Senator Gillibrand and your staff for your efforts on increasing the MILC rates and indexing these payments for inflation. I am a proud American Dairy Farmer, and taking handouts does not please me, but this truly is a time of need for my fellow dairymen and me. Thank you for your efforts and your interest in the intricacies of dairy pricing. Thank you for listening to my suggestions, and I’m looking
forward to working together to resolve the dairy pricing issues we currently are facing and those in the future."
Congressman Massa, Senator Gillibrand, and Congressman Lee listened to two panels. The first Producers and Processors, the second consisted of Economists and Experts.
The best lines of the day....Congressman Massa, after learning that each NY dairy farmer must contribute to a national promotion fund, part of which is used by the State of California to promote their California Happy Cow ads in New York State. Fifteen cents per hundredweight is levied on all milk marketed commercially in NYS.
He asked, "Why can't we produce ads for...let's say... New York Happy Yankee Cows, and play them in California?".
When told that it is tradition that dairy farmers' have responsibility to transport milk to the processor...just like lobster fisherman must arrange transportation of their catch from the ship to the cannery.
Congressman Massa mused, "I don't know how to milk a lobster."
A U.S. Senate hearing on dairy prices is scheduled Thursday at 2 p.m at GCC.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who is chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Domestic and Foreign Marketing, Inspection, and Plant & Animal Health, called the hearing to gather testimony on dairy prices and how government regulations impact pricing and what changes may need to be made.
This is a formal Senate hearing and only invited panelists will be given an opportunity to speak and ask questions, but any member of the public can attend the session. RSVP by contacting Gillibrand's office (see below). Also, anyone can submit written testimony to be included in the official record if received within five days of the hearing.
The panelists providing testimony represent producers, processors and economists.
A letter from Sen. Gillibrand's office lists the panelists:
Panel I – Producers and Processors
Barb Hanselman – Barb served on the local Farm Service Agency (FSA) committee and is a candidate for the state FSA committee. She owns a dairy farm in Delaware County and is actively involved in the farming community.
Robert Church – Robert is the herd manager of Patterson Farms, a 980 cow farm just west of Auburn, NY. The farm was the first in Cayuga County to complete a voluntary certification through the New York State Cattle Health Assurance Program.
Robin Keller – Robin and her husband, Kip, milk 100 cows in Byron, NY. She is the director for the New York Jersey Cattle Club and the President of the Genesee County Farm Bureau. She volunteers with the local 4H and Holstien clubs as well.
Bruce Krupke – Bruce is the Executive Vice President of the Northeast Dairy Foods Association, which is a full-service trade association that includes processors, distributors, cheese and ice cream manufacturers, and producers.
Ron McCormick – Ron is a former representative on the National Dairy Board, which develops and administers a coordinated program of dairy promotion, research and nutrition education. They are funded by a 15-cent-per-hundredweight fee levied on all milk marketed commercially by producers.
Panel II – Economists and Experts
Dean Norton – Dean is a dairy farmer and agricultural consultant from Batavia, and was elected President of New York Farm Bureau in 2008.
Andrew Novakovic – Andrew is a professor at Cornell University who specializes in the economics of dairy markets. He is the director of the Cornell Program on Dairy Markets and Policy.
Bob Wellington – Bob has represented Agri-Mark at all Federal Order hearings since joining the cooperative in 1989. He serves as a member of the National Milk Producers Federation Federal Order and Price Support Committees and is a director and treasurer of the Council of Northeast Farmer Cooperatives.
Kim Pickard-Dudley – Upstate Niagara Co-op is a full-service dairy co-operative located in Western New York and owned by dairy farmers. They operate milk processing plants in Buffalo and Rochester and have a distribution center in Syracuse.
Members of the public who wish to provide testimony can do so in writing:
However, if you have written comments you would like to submit, feel free to bring them to the hearing, where they will be collected at the end, email to: dairyhearing@gillibrand.senate.gov or mail to our Rochester Office at Kenneth B. Keating Federal Office Building, 100 State Street, Room 4195, Rochester, NY 14614. If received within five days of the hearing, these comments will be submitted for the official record.
Gillibrand's office is asking anybody who wishes to attend to RSVP:
If you would like to attend the hearing, please RSVP to our Rochester regional office by calling (585) 263-6250 or sending an email to dairyhearing@gillibrand.senate.gov.
Copyright © 2008-2022 The Batavian. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service
