Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012

Particularly relevant in my field of interest, Farm Bill 2012 is a hot topic in Congress, the environmental sphere, and the daily news. However, there should be even more dialogue around Farm Bill 2012 because it is a domestic policy that affects every single American, namely every American stomach.

The Farm Bill is a comprehensive bill that creates the legislative framework for agriculture policy. Including policy initiatives ranging from rural development to nutrition to trade and taxes, the Farm Bill remains in effect for five year periods and is currently approaching its expiration this September. Congressional members of agriculture committees and agricultural leaders are in the process of hearings to assess the success of the previous Farm Bill and make the necessary changes to be included in Farm Bill 2012. 

At one of the seminars this week, upon hearing I worked for an environmental think tank, an alumna of St. Ben’s interjected: You’re following the Farm Bill, aren’t you? It was less of a question and more of a command. I, thankfully, had been following news on Farm Bill 2012, otherwise known as the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012, so I could honestly respond that I did have some idea about the recent hearings and the $23 billion budget cut, the bulk of which coming from eliminating direct payments to farmers. However, not all of my classmates had been following the Farm Bill - I was asked by numerous peers what on earth the “farm bill” was. I have found this lack of knowledge is not uncommon - often agricultural policy flies under the radar, it is often something taken for granted, not explored.

Farm Bill 2012 provides a service that should not be taken for granted. Four out of every five dollars in the Farm Bill goes to a popular program citizens do not usually associate with agriculture: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), popularly known as food stamps. The Farm Bill is generally a fairly bipartisan piece of legislation, but partisan politics begin and end with money. An amendment by Republican, Rand Paul, sought to cut $45 billion per year in SNAP spending. Democratic, and chair of the Agriculture Committee, Debbie Stabenow, firmly opposed the amendment stating it was “outrageous and would go completely against the commitment we as a country have made to help those who truly need it.”

After talking to many former Hill staffers, I have learned that the House is where bills go to die. This is not good news for Farm Bill 2012, as the House has not even begun to draft its own farm bill. I understand how Hill staff, from interns to LDs, can become jaded with the legislative process, especially with something as basic and essential as food production. But, the beauty of being an environmental studies major is a mandatory optimistic outlook on the future. As the farm bill debate continues, I have confidence that a compromise can be found - not necessarily a compromise that supports conservation, organic agriculture, or sustainability as much as I would hope - but inevitably, a decision will be made and I will be able and ready to draft an op-ed on the outcome.

Stand right, walk left

Sitting in a classroom learning about the inner workings of our government is far different from sitting on the Metro and experiencing the sights and sounds of the nation’s capital. In my first couple of weeks in Washington, D.C. I have learned one important lesson: Stand right, walk left. This applies not only to escalator etiquette, but to D.C. as a whole. There is no such thing as standing still, and even when you try, everything else moves around you.

It is hard to grasp the speed at which things happen in D.C. from a textbook. My walking speed has increased immensely from its normal Minnesota pace. People are always on the move, but that does not mean that everyone can keep up. Through my “civics” understanding of the federal government, I assumed all D.C. workers were efficient, intelligent, and passionate. I have been slightly disenchanted from this romantic notion. This does not mean that my coworkers do not possess these positive characteristics, but the degree to which they are exercised is variable. 

One of the most exciting aspects of D.C. is the global community. In academia, there is a logical emphasis on Americans in the nation’s capital, but there are also vast amounts of international contingents. My fellow interns represent all sides of the globe and bring their own unique views on global issues (in the case of my organization, poverty eradication, food security, and climate change). My supervisor represents a global perspective in a different way; she works remotely from locations across the map. It is unlikely I will ever have the opportunity to meet her in person because her travels take her from South Africa, to Mexico, and soon Rio de Janeiro for the Rio+20 Earth Summit. This international aspect of my work is fascinating, but lack of face-to-face communication often makes work less efficient due to the constant stream of emails and lack of firsthand mentorship. Also when there are many views representative of many different cultures and ideals, it takes much time and many revisions to write an opinion piece that is universally agreed upon. Despite the decreased efficiency, I greatly appreciate the “world” element of my position at Worldwatch Institute. It is a very apparent reminder that Washington, D.C. not only serves as the capital of the United States, but also lives up to its nickname, the “Center of the Universe.”

Due to the speed at which tasks must be completed, passion is sometimes sacrificed and spread thin. I was slightly disappointed to find that the opinion pieces written by my organization are not individually written with thought and care, but rather are mass-produced. One of my tasks this week was to find local examples from the city where we submitted op-eds and then “customize” our message to the newspaper’s readers. I was also disappointed to find that editors are unlikely to publish these sorts of articles, and my hard work at editing the op-ed pieces is often in vain.

I did witness genuine passion this past week from our country’s members of Congress. One night this week, I noticed the flag was still above the House of Representatives around 9:00. A friend and I walked over to the Capital Visitor Center and made our way to the Gallery. Although not incredibly interesting to me, the representatives debated the budget for various items falling under the umbrella of transportation. One thing that is often not talked about is the around the clock, somewhat mundane, debates. Seeing and hearing these representatives speak to their peers, I acknowledged that these issues are not mundane to them. The congresspeople spoke with passion and eloquence.  I discovered there must be more to a representative’s motive than re-election - as discussed in the Mayhew’s “Electoral Connection” - because even though they did not present on a sexy topic that would be covered in the press the next day, the representatives cared enough to fulfill their duties with passion and to the best of their ability at 10:30PM on a Wednesday night. The clock never stops for the needs of the American people. 

I look forward to discovering more examples of voids between the “civics” understanding of government and my real life experiences in D.C. Meanwhile I will try to keep up and remember to stand right, walk left.