Virginia Poll Shows Farm Subsidy Cuts and More Conservation Spending Would Improve Public's View of Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sean Crowley – 202-572-3331 or scrowley@environmentaldefense.org
Sharyn Stein – 202-572-3396 or sstein@environmentaldefense.org
 
(Washington, DC – October 2) A new public opinion poll in Virginia found that more than three out of four (79%) of poll respondents agreed that their U.S. senators should support shifting money from farm subsidies to conservation programs. If that reform effort succeeded, more than six out of 10 (62%) of the poll respondents said they would have a more favorable opinion of Congress.
 
Those are two key findings of an online interactive poll in Virginia conducted September 18-21 by Zogby International for the nonprofit environmental group, Environmental Defense.  The timing of the poll is significant because the Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to begin debating the Farm Bill as early as this week and is dominated by farm belt senators whose states benefit disproportionately from existing farm subsidies compared to the rest of Congress.
 
“This poll result suggests that senators outside the traditional farm belt will be taking a political risk if they support a status quo Farm Bill,” said Sara Hopper, an attorney for Environmental Defense. “As the poll shows, senators can improve their standing with the public by supporting reductions in farm subsidies and increased funding programs that reward farmers for helping the environment.”
 
“Senators who vote to shift tax dollars from subsidies to protect farmland, restore wetlands and help farmers and the environment will be doing what their constituents want,” concluded Timothy Male, a senior scientist with Environmental Defense. “In this poll, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents overwhelmingly supported Farm Bill reform, lowering crop subsidies and increasing conservation funding.” 
 
Other important findings of the poll include:
 
  • Two out of three (66%) poll respondents disapprove of the overall job that Congress has been doing in 2007.
  • Almost two out of three (62%) poll respondents would have a more favorable opinion of Congress if it passed a Farm Bill that substantially increases funding for cleaner water; protects wildlife; preserves farmland; and conserves soil.
  • About two out of three (64%) poll respondents said that current farm subsidy spending is ‘somewhat’ or ‘way too much.’ Respondents were told that the Congressional Budget Office estimates that farm subsidies will cost a minimum of $40 billion in the next five years under an extension of the current Farm Bill. Similar subsidy spending would occur under the bill passed by the House of Representatives.
  • More than seven out of 10 (73%) poll respondents said they prefer reducing farm subsidies over tax increases or spending that increases the budget deficit to obtain more money to help farmers make our rivers, streams, lakes and bays cleaner;  protect wildlife; and conserve soil.
  • Almost eight out of 10 (79%) of poll respondents agree that their U.S. senators should support a Farm Bill that shifts money from farm subsidies and invests it in programs that help farmers make our rivers, streams, lakes and bays cleaner; promote a healthier food supply; and produce renewable energy that could reduce our reliance on foreign oil.
  • Almost eight out of 10 (78%) poll respondents would have a more favorable opinion of Congress if it passed a Farm Bill that prevents people and corporations with million dollar incomes from receiving farm subsidy payments. The House-passed Farm Bill allows farmers and farming corporations with adjusted gross incomes of up to $1 million and farmer couples with adjusted gross incomes of up to $2 million to receive subsidy payments.
 
The Farm Bill currently provides $4 billion in annual funding for conservation programs through which USDA partners with farmers and ranchers to provide clean water, fresh air, healthy soils and wildlife, and other public environmental benefits. Unfortunately, two out of three farmers are rejected when they apply for these conservation programs because this funding level is insufficient to meet the demand.  Increasing conservation funding in the 2007 farm bill also would ensure that more states and regions get a fairer share of Farm Bill spending. Currently, seven states receive more than 50 percent of Farm Bill spending, which is unfair to the rest of America’s farmers.
 
About the Zogby poll in Virginia:

The sample size of the online interactive poll was 694 adults. The poll’s margin of error is +/- 3.8 percentage points. For information about the methodology and reliability of Zogby’s online polls, visit: http://interactive.zogby.com/

 

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