For related articles and more information, please visit OCA’s Farm Bill page and our Millions Against Monsanto page .

A 2013 Farm Bill is one step closer to reality after last week’s decision by the House and Senate to go to conference to hammer out the differences be their two versions.

The bad news is that the House version still contains an amendment, introduced by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) that could wipe out state laws on food and farming, including state laws requiring labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Please call your Senator or Representative (listed below) and ask them to drop the King Amendment from the Farm Bill.

The King Amendment is intended to block California from implementing a law, already passed, that requires farm animals to be given enough space to spread their limbs and turn around. But the way the amendment is written, it would take away states’ rights to pass laws on food and farming, including GMO labeling laws like the ones passed earlier this year in Maine and Connecticut, and the citizens’ initiative we’re working so hard to pass next month in Washington State.

On Saturday, Oct. 12, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives chose a group of legislators who are now tasked with hammering out the differences between their two versions of the Farm Bill. You’re receiving this email because your Senator or Representative is going to be part of this Farm Bill conference committee.

The King Amendment is only in the House version of the bill, so the conference committee could choose to drop it. And the committee is a lot more likely to do that if members get thousands of phone calls from constituents warning them not to pass this anti-democratic law that helps factory farms, hurts animals and takes away states’ rights to regulate food and farming.

The conference committee members are listed below with their phone numbers. Please call the one that represents your state or district.

You can say:

“I’m calling because my congressperson has been chosen to join the Farm Bill conference committee. I oppose the King Amendment in the House version of the bill and urge my congressperson to remove it. The King Amendment is aimed at blocking the implementation of a California law I support that says farm animals should have enough space to spread their limbs and turn around. Farm animals shouldn’t be tortured in factory farms. It’s cruel to the animals and crowded conditions create food safety problems. But the King Amendment doesn’t just block one law; it takes away the rights of states to enforce any law that regulates food or farming. Please tell my congressperson to stop the King Amendment.”

Please Contact Your Farm Bill Conference Committee Member:

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R., Okla.) 202-225-5565
Rep. Michael Conaway (R., Texas) 202-225-3605
Rep. Rick Crawford (R., Ark.) 202-225-4076
Rep. Steve King (R., Iowa) 202-225-4426
Rep. Austin Scott (R., Ga.) 202-225-6531
Rep. Glenn Thompson (R., Pa.) 202-225-5121
Rep. Mike Rogers (R., Ala.) 202-225-3261
Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R., Texas) 202-225-4005
Rep. Martha Roby (R., Ala.) 202-225-2901
Rep. Kristi Noem (R., S.D.) 202-225-2801
Rep. Rodney Davis (R., Ill.) 202-225-2371
Rep. Jeff Denham (R., Ca.) 202-225-4540
Rep. Steve Southerland (R., Fla.). 202-225-5235

House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson (D., Minn.) 202-225-2165
Rep. Mike McIntyre (D., N.C.) 202-225-2731
Rep. Jim Costa (D., Calif.) 202-225-3341
Rep. Tim Walz (D., Minn.) 202-225-2472
Rep. Kurt Schrader (D., Ore.) 202-225-5711
Rep. Jim McGovern (D., Mass.) 202-225-6101
Rep. Suzan DelBene (D., Wash.) 202-225-6311
Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod (D., Calif.) 202-225-6161
Rep. Filemon Vela (D., Texas) 202-225-9901
Rep. Ed Royce (R., Calif.) 202-225-4111
Rep. Tom Marino (R., Pa.) 202-225-3731
Rep. Eliot Engel (D., N.Y.) 202-225-2464
Rep. Dave Camp (R., Mich.) 202-225-3561
Rep. Sam Johnson (R., Texas) 202-225-4201
Rep. Sandy Levin (D., Mich.) 202-225-4961

Senate Agriculture Committee chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D., Mich.) (202) 224-4822
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D., Vt.) (202) 224-4242
Sen. Tom Harkin (D., Iowa) (202) 224-3254
Sen. Max Baucus (D., Mont.) (202) 224-2651
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio) (202) 224-2315
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) (202) 224-3244
Sen. Michael Bennet (D., Colo.) (202) 224-5852

Senate Ag Committee ranking member Thad Cochran (R., Miss.) (202) 224-5054
Sen. Pat Roberts (R., Kan.) (202) 224-4774
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R., Ga.) (202) 224-3521
Sen. John Boozman (R., Ark.) (202) 224-4843
Sen. John Hoeven (R., N.D.) (202) 224-2551