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La Vida Locavore is the blog for anyone whose crazy life includes planting, growing, weeding, fertilizing, raising, picking, harvesting, processing, cooking, baking, making, serving, buying, selling, distributing, transporting, composting, organizing around, lobbying about, writing about, thinking about, talking about, playing with, and eating food!

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Chair: Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Ag Sub-Committee
Chair: Herb Kohl (D-WI)
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Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions
- Chris Dodd (D-CT)

Senate Hunger Caucus

House

Agriculture
Chair: B Collin Peterson (D-MN)
V. Chair: B Tim Holden (D-PA)
B Joe Baca (D-CA)
- John Boccieri (D-OH)
B* Leonard Boswell (D-IA)
- Bobby Bright (D-AL)
B* Dennis Cardoza (D-CA)
- Travis Childers (D-MS)
B Jim Costa (D-CA)
- Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
- Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA)
B Brad Ellsworth (D-IN)
- Debbie Halvorson (D-IL)
B Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD)
- Steve Kagen (D-WI)
- Larry Kissell (D-NC)
B Frank Kratovil (D-MD)
- Betsy Markey (D-CO)
B Jim Marshall (D-GA)
P Eric Massa (D-NY)
B Mike McIntyre (D-NC)
- Walt Minnick (D-ID)
B Earl Pomeroy (D-ND)
- Mark Schauer (D-MI)
- Kurt Schrader (D-OR)
B David Scott (D-GA)
B Zachary Space (D-OH)
- Timothy Walz (D-MN)
- Frank Lucas (R-OK)
- Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
- K. Michael Conaway (R-TX)
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- Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
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- Timothy Johnson (R-IL)
- Steve King (R-IA)
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- Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO)
- Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
- Jerry Moran (R-KS)
- Randy Neugebauer (R-TX)
- Phil Roe (R-TN)
- Mike Rogers (R-AL)
- Jean Schmidt (R-OH)
- Adrian Smith (R-NE)
- Glenn Thompson (R-PA)
*=House Organic Caucus member
B=Blue Dog Democrat

Appropriations
Chair: Dave Obey (D-WI)
Ag Sub-Committee
Chair: P Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
- Sanford Bishop (D-GA)
* Allen Boyd (D-FL)
- Lincoln Davis (D-TN)
*P Sam Farr (D-CA)
*P Maurice D. Hinchey (D-NY)
P Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
P Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
- Jack Kingston (R-GA)
- Rodney Alexander (R-LA)
- Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO)
* Tom Latham (R-IA)
*=House Organic Caucus member

P=Congressional Progressive Caucus

Education and Labor
P Chair: George Miller (D-CA)
- Jason Altmire (D-PA)
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- Timothy Bishop (D-NY)
P Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
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P Marcia Fudge (D-OH)
P Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
P Phil Hare (D-IL)
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P Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
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P Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
P Dave Loebsack (D-IA)
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P Donald Payne (D-NJ)
- Jared Polis (D-CO)
- Robert Scott (D-VA)
- Joe Sestak (D-PA)
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P John Tierney (D-MA)
- Dina Titus (D-NV)
- Paul Tonko (D-NY)
P Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
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- Buck McKeon (R-CA)
- Judy Biggert (R-IL)
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- Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
- Michael Castle (R-DE)
- Vernon Ehlers (R-MI)
- Luis F Fortuno (R-PR)
- Brett Guthrie (R-KY)
- Peter Hoekstra (R-MI)
- Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA)
- John Kline (R-MN)
- Kenny Marchant (R-TX)
- Tom McClintock (R-CA)
- Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
- Thomas Petri (R-WI)
- Phil Roe (R-TN)
- Todd Russell Platts (R-PA)
- Tom Price (R-GA)
- Mark Souder (R-IN)
- GT Thompson (R-PA)
- Joe Wilson (R-SC)
P=Congressional Progressive Caucus

House Organic Caucus
Congressional Progressive Caucus

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Monsanto Spent Over $2 Million on Lobbying in Q1 2009

by: Jill Richardson

Thu May 28, 2009 at 16:09:10 PM PDT

Turns out Monsanto HAS been lobbying for "the REAL Monsanto bill." Hmm.

Back in April, I posted a diary called The Bad Guys' Plan to Feed the Hungry in which I referred to S.384, the Global Food Security Act, as "the REAL Monsanto bill." It was a reference to a nickname given to the bill by the Organic Consumers Association.

To my great surprise, Monsanto dropped by this blog to let me know that they had nothing to do with the bill. Nothing at all! JohnatMonsanto said:

The Lugar-Casey Global Food Security Act does not direct funding to Monsanto and we have made no request for it to do so.

Brad from Monsanto said:

Further, Monsanto was not involved in the drafting of this bill, and while Monsanto shares the belief with the bill's authors that technology can help lift people from poverty, we would not benefit directly from the passage of this bill.
Given the recent fiasco with failed attempts to portray HR 875 as a Monsanto-sponsored bill I'm surprised at your involvement in the attempt to mis-portray S 384 as a Monsanto bill as well.

Well, a quick look at Monsanto's first quarter 2009 lobbying report gives us the truth. They spent $2,094,000 on lobbying. Among their issues were:

General Issue area code: AGR AGRICULTURE
Specific lobbying issues:
Biotech acceptance
Crop insurance/Biotech yield endorsement
USDA Rulemaking - 7CFR Part 340
House(s) of Congress and Federal Agencies:
U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, White House Office, State - Dept of (DOS), Agriculture - Dept of (USDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

General Issue area code: FOO Food industry (Safety, Labeling, etc)
Specific lobbying issues:
Biotechnology acceptance
S. 384- Global Food Security Act of 2009
Sustainable Yield Initiative
House(s) of Congress and Federal Agencies
U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, Agriculture - Dept of (USDA)

There goes that claim that Monsanto has nothing to do with S.384. However, it does prove (as I've been saying all along) that Monsanto had nothing to do with H.R.875.

Jill Richardson :: Monsanto Spent Over $2 Million on Lobbying in Q1 2009

Tags: Monsanto, Lobbying, (All Tags)

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Monsanto Spent Over $2 Million on Lobbying in Q1 2009 | 6 comments

Well, I am flabbergasted! (4.00 / 3)

I mean, honestly - my flabbers are gasted! (or are my gasts flabbered? My gasten is flabbering? I have been gastened to the point of flabbering? I always get those mixed up...)

(waiting for Monsanto guys to come along, and tell us that money was just spent on ice cream and balloons for children. Why do we hate children?!)

:)

"Intelligent discontent is the mainspring of civilization." - Eugene V. Debs

by: JayinPortland @ Thu May 28, 2009 at 21:09:23 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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Where did you get this lobbying report? Looks fascinating. (4.00 / 4)

by: michaelindc @ Thu May 28, 2009 at 22:26:57 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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here (4.00 / 2)

http://soprweb.senate.gov/inde...

Enjoy!

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

by: Jill Richardson @ Thu May 28, 2009 at 22:49:10 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Excellent job here Jill --- BRAD WHATS UP? (4.00 / 3)

Brad from Monsanto... AKA... Bad Guy.. yes.. you..
what's up now? I can't believe I wasted any time reading your comments.. LIAR.. BUSTED! Ouch.

by: Curtis Abbey @ Fri May 29, 2009 at 00:01:23 AM CDT

by: you @ soon

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Supporting does not equal writing (0.00 / 0)

Jill,

You have done your research, and found that Monsanto supports the bill - a fact never disputed by us.

I think it would be a bit more honest of you to pull the rest of what Brad wrote. To wit:

"First, I don't see how Monsanto will 'profit handsomely' from the passage of this bill. You have offered no evidence or hypothesis to support this statement. The best I can see is that research and support in Africa will lead to a greater appreciation for the technology, which will then lead to greater acceptance of our seed products. This seems a fairly reasonable path forward however. I am open to other ideas."

The fact remains, as Brad wrote, "Further, Monsanto was not involved in the drafting of this bill, and while Monsanto shares the belief with the bill's authors that technology can help lift people from poverty, we would not benefit directly from the passage of this bill."

You posted a lobbying disclosure form that shows that we support a bill we said we support - but your tone seems to imply some sort of conspiracy between world hunger organizations and Monsanto. You are far too good a writer for that to be accidental. Is that really what you believe?

The Des Moines Register took the time to talk to Lugar's office, and Lugar's spokesman pointed out that the biotech industry has had nothing to do with writing the bill. You can read the full article here: http://www.desmoinesregister.c...

Anti-GM and organic groups are lobbying hard against the biotech inclusion of this bill. Their efforts are no more nefarious than our efforts. We are both trying to influence government to make decisions we feel are correct. Such efforts are the backbone of the democratic process.

by: JohnAtMonsanto @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 10:54:11 AM CDT

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the democratic process (4.00 / 3)

The key value of democratic process is based on the belief in the integrity and rights of all people and promotes ideals of equal participation and access for individuals and groups, civil and political rights, citizenship, and democratic decision making in all aspects of life, including public and private life.

"The wealth acquired by speculation and plunder, is fugacious in its nature, and fills society with the spirit of gambling. The moderate and sure income of husbandry begets permanent improvement, quiet life and orderly conduct, both public and private." --Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 1787

I am sure glad the real democrats are dead they would be considered terrorist today.

by: zonly1 @ Tue Jun 02, 2009 at 23:43:39 PM CDT

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Monsanto Spent Over $2 Million on Lobbying in Q1 2009 | 6 comments