Senator Lugar and EWG to Hold Joint Press Conference To Release New EWG Database
Analysis Will Forecast Direct Payment Subsidies By Farm Business & Beneficiary Through 2012
Members of the media are invited to join Indiana Senator Richard Lugar and EWG president Ken Cook on Thursday, November 1st for a press conference announcing the launch of the EWG report on Direct Payments: Subsidies on Autopilot. The report and accompanying database will show:
- While many subsidized farmers are projected to receive record crop prices and earn record farm incomes over the next five years, the subsidy lobby is still demanding $26 billion in automatic payments from taxpayers over that period in the 2007 farm bill.
- Just seven states will collect half of the direct payment subisidies. The 19 states represented by the Senate Agriculture Committee will receive 61 percent of direct payments.
- The report lists farm businesses and beneficiaries likely to collect direct payment subsidies over the next five years, and projects the amount they could receive if the current program is extended through 2012.
- Nationally, EWG projects that 263 farm businesses will collect one million dollars or more in direct payment subsidies over the next five years if Congress extends the program unchanged.
What: Press Conference for release of EWG Report – Subsidies on Autopilot.
When: Thursday, November 1st, 2007 11:15 AM EST
Who: Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana and Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group
Where: Senate SC-6
Report Distribution: Subsidies on Autopilot and the information in this advisory is embargoed to the public until 11:00 AM EST Thursday, November 1st, 2007. Embargoed pre-access to the report can be obtained by contacting the EWG public affairs office using the contact information at the top of the advisory.
# # #
The EWG is a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, DC that uses the power of information to protect human health and the environment. Visit www.mulchblog.com to learn more about the EWG’s farm subsidy analysis.
