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Senate

Agriculture
Chair: Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
- Max Baucus (D-MT)
- Michael Bennet (D-CO)
- Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
- Bob Casey (D-PA)
- Kent Conrad (D-ND)
- Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
- Tom Harkin (D-IA)
- Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
- Pat Leahy (D-VT)
- Ben Nelson (D-NE)
- Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
- Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
- Thad Cochran (R-MS)
- John Cornyn (R-TX)
- Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
- Mike Johanns (R-NE)
- Dick Lugar (R-IN)
- Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Pat Roberts (R-KS)
- John R. Thune (R-SD)

Appropriations
Chair: Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Ag Sub-Committee
Chair: Herb Kohl (D-WI)
- Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
- Dick Durbin (D-IL)
- Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
- Tom Harkin (D-IA)
- Tim Johnson (D-SD)
- Ben Nelson (D-NE)
- Jack Reed (D-RI)
- Robert Bennett (R-UT)
- Christopher Bond (R-MO)
- Sam Brownback (R-KS)
- Thad Cochran (R-MS)
- Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Arlen Specter (R-PA)

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)
- Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE)
- Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
- Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
- Sam Graves (R-MO)
- Timothy Johnson (R-IL)
- Steve King (R-IA)
- Robert Latta (R-OH)
- 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)
- Robert Andrews (D-NJ)
- Timothy Bishop (D-NY)
P Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
- Joe Courtney (D-CT)
- Susan Davis (D-CA)
P Marcia Fudge (D-OH)
P Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
P Phil Hare (D-IL)
- Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX)
P Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
- Rush Holt (D-NJ)
- Dale Kildee (D-MI)
P Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
P Dave Loebsack (D-IA)
- Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY)
P Donald Payne (D-NJ)
- Jared Polis (D-CO)
- Robert Scott (D-VA)
- Joe Sestak (D-PA)
- Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH)
P John Tierney (D-MA)
- Dina Titus (D-NV)
- Paul Tonko (D-NY)
P Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
- David Wu (D-OR)
- Buck McKeon (R-CA)
- Judy Biggert (R-IL)
- Rob Bishop (R-UT)
- 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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What Is Food Independence?

by: Jill Richardson

Sat Jul 04, 2009 at 14:35:56 PM PDT

In honor of today's holiday, the lovely Leslie Hatfield declared her food independence on the Huffington Post. The Center for ~~Corporate Front Groups~~ Consumer Freedom declared a different type of food independence. Whereas Hatfield writes of being food secure and independent by producing your own food (or supporting those who do within your community), CCF wants us to practice freedom by eating whatever the hell we want without guilt. CCF forgets to tell us that when we indulge in junk food, we are patronizing their sponsors (steakhouses, meatpackers, factory farms, chain restaurants, and other junk food peddlers). And while a good steak isn't off limits to those who practice Leslie Hatfield's brand of food independence (particularly if it is grass fed and raised by a local farmer), CCF forgets that we CANNOT declare independence from mother nature. And mother nature says we don't get to eat infinite quantities of junk.

The very sad truth is that we don't get to break the laws of Mother Nature. Think of her like any other parent who says "As long as you're in my house, you have to live by my rules!" Thus - we humans can't fly, even if we jump off our roofs and flap our arms. The law of gravity will get us. And we have to follow a whole bunch of food-related rules as well. Fortunately, if we do it right, we can enjoy ourselves within the bounds set by Mother Nature.

An occasional tiramisu is OK (thank goodness!). We're offered an incredibly wide range of foods, so its OK if you never want to eat broccoli again, just like President George H.W. Bush. If you hate it - don't eat it. But if that's the case, then you probably oughta look into other cruciferous veggies that are more appealing to you, or perhaps find a way to prepare them that you enjoy. And an awful lot of healthy foods are actually quite tasty (ripe strawberries, watermelon, cocoa, avocados... mmm).

That said, if you declare the ultimate food freedom and indulge in whatever you want, whenever you want, Mother Nature is going to punish you by restricting another sort of freedom: your health.

The best case scenario is that you'll need to take prescription drugs to cope with your health problems for the rest of your life. That might cost a lot and make it harder for you to get insurance, but it's not a huge deal in the scheme of things. But you might end up with a body that cannot enjoy the activities it once could, and all of the emotional anguish that goes along with being trapped in a body that makes you unhappy. Or, you might end up with expensive medical procedures and scary incidents that land you in the hospital. Worst of all, your life of food freedom might end at too young an age because your body simply could not handle all of that freedom.

I don't want to be a downer on this Fourth of July, but I'd much prefer to see us proclaim our freedom from poor health instead of our freedom to eat whatever the hell we want. An all-tiramisu diet might be enjoyable, but it's not worth the consequences.

Jill Richardson :: What Is Food Independence?

Tags: Food Independence, Leslie Hatfield, Health, Center for Consumer Freedom, (All Tags)

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What Is Food Independence? | 4 comments

Well said! (4.00 / 2)

I need to proclaim freedom from junk food. I'm the only vegetarian I know who is gaining weight. Junk food has been calling my name, the guise of a "free" membership at a big box retailer, which sells candy, dried fruit and nuts for much less than anyone else. Too much of anything is a bad thing.

On the home front, my most delicious salads come from my own lettuce and herbs (and a few of my neighbor's, with her gracious permission). Local is fresher, tastier and pollutes less. It's also healthier. What more can we ask?

by: bj445 @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 12:44:38 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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It's interesting that you say this... (4.00 / 1)

I'm a junk food junkie as well, but I've been sort of weaning off them.

It's a side effect rather than an intentional thing. I joined a CSA and started foraging much more seriously. Between the two, I come home with bags and bags of fresh fruits and vegetables every week. I have a real aversion to letting such amazing, fresh food go to waste (never felt that way about supermarket crap--go figure), so my other half and I have been eating enormous meals of vegetables and stuffing ourselves silly with fruit every day.

I know it sounds stupid, but I honestly never seem to have much room for junk anymore. Every time I've lost weight in the past, it's been through agonizing, conscious effort. I hated people who lost weight but said they weren't even trying.

Apparently having ridiculous heaps of fresh fruits and vegetables around really motivates me to eat well. No telling what's going to happen come winter, though.

I wish I knew half what the flock of them know
Of where all the berries and other things grow,
Cranberries in bogs and raspberries on top
Of the boulder-strewn mountain, and when they will crop.
--"Blueberries" by Robert Frost

by: wide eyed lib @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 13:31:11 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Come winter... (4.00 / 1)

...what we do, is we snarl and growl at those in friendlier climes!

j/k...

;-P

Apples, pears and (NYC for you, Portland for me) year-round farmers' markets! Okay, here in January and February it's more like apples and pears and kale and tiny winter greens and parsnips (which I can not force myself to like, unfortunately) and hazelnuts and cheese and mushrooms and eggs and potatoes and potatoes and potatoes and potatoes and potatoes and potatoes and potatoes and potatoes, but still...

by: JayinPortland @ Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 14:59:56 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

great post (0.00 / 0)

Thanks for the post, I appreciate your thoughts on food independence. My client, La Cense Beef prides itself on the Natural meat it provides organically making it ok to indulge all you want.

by: tddjames6 @ Wed Jan 06, 2010 at 13:53:14 PM CST

by: you @ soon

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What Is Food Independence? | 4 comments