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Reprinted by permission from the Jan. 14, 2010 NGFA Newsletter, Volume 62, Number 1.

It’s the New Year and Congress returns next week to an agenda that will have serious impact on the grain, feed and processing industry!

As part of its legislative efforts, NGFA is taking aggressive steps to motivate member companies to play an active role in educating public policy decision makers in Washington.

We have developed a broad government relations strategy that includes significant staff resources devoted to working with Congress and administrative agencies, getting our membership engaged in conversations with their elected officials on priority issues and leveraging NGFA’s political action committee – Grain and Feed PAC – to gain greater access to decision makers.

The NGFA’s Grain and Feed PAC is a small but integral part to the success of this broad strategy.

And now, more than ever, we believe strategically placed donations will provide the access we need to make the industry’s case to lawmakers on critical issues of bottom-line importance to NGFA member companies!

In this new year, the NGFA will be asking more from you than we have before – the current situation in Washington dictates a different, more aggressive approach.

Increasing NGFA’s PAC presence will help us represent your interest the best we can on Capitol Hill.

The challenges facing the industry in 2010 are huge, daunting and more diverse than experienced in many years.

Topping the list, of course, is the climate-change legislation that as currently written would divert upwards of 59 million acres of cropland and pasture into forest by 2050.

Coupled with the Conservation Reserve Program, this would idle 22 percent of U.S. cropland.

Also, on the NGFA’s legislative priority list are bills that would reform the financial regulatory system, which among other things would affect futures contracts, market speculation, derivatives and the role of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Legislation also is likely to be considered addressing food and feed safety, safety and combustible dusts, restrictions on mandatory arbitration clauses in contracts, easing labor union organizing and the future of biofuels policies.

Rather than shrink from these challenges, it is NGFA’s intention to meet them head on while also being proactive in addressing opportunities in these new times.

For instance, for the first time in 30 years, there’s a chance Congress will enact rail reform legislation.

Also, likely to be considered is transportation infrastructure legislation addressing the funding shortages for major rehabilitation and construction on the nation’s inland waterways and a new highway bill.

There even may be an opportunity to secure movement in the Senate on long-pending free trade agreements to provide more access to U.S. agricultural products in world markets.

Whether it is confronting legislative challenges or capturing opportunities, the NGFA and its member companies need to be fully engaged and committed to the process.

Just the small list of issues identified here encompass congressional committees well beyond the NGFA’s usual sphere – Banking; Financial Services; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure; Environment and Public Works, etc. – the list just continues to grow!

Traditionally, the NGFAs Grain and Feed PAC has played only a minor supporting role in the NGFA’s legislative strategy.

While the PAC will never be the dominant aspect of NGFA’s legislative strategy, there is a great opportunity to leverage it to enhance the other pillars of our strategy – which focus on doing our homework to build a convincing case for NGFA policies on legislation, enhancing the ability of NGFA members to contact their members of Congress on key issues, and expending considerable staff resources to positively influence the outcome.

Clearly, the political climate and policy landscape have changed!

The NGFA, too, must adapt.

That is why NGFA’s Grain and Feed PAC is poised to play an integral role in the Association’s strategy in 2010.

The NGFA has set aggressive targets for its PAC. Rather than rest on a goal of $25,000 per year as has been established in the past, the NGFA has set a new goal of increasing it to $100,000 for 2010 and recruiting more than 200 individual NGFA member companies to participate.

The NGFA already has made some strides to help meet this fundraising challenge.

We have four individuals that have pledged to contribute $5,000.

The NGFA president, Kendell Keith, has pledged to contribute $2,500.

The $100,000 is an achievable goal.

A number of representatives of NGFA-member companies have responded to a challenge NGFA Chairman Tom Coyle issued last fall.

There also was a good turnout for the NGFA Grain and Feed PAC event featuring Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-KS, during the Country Elevator/Feed Industry Conference in December.

With political elections sneaking up quickly in November 2010, NGFA’s Grain and Feed PAC is at a critical juncture in making a difference that will help members’ public policy agenda.

Reaching this ambitious funding goal will improve the prospects that the NGFA will have a “seat at the table” as Congress contemplates big policy changes.

So, we ask that you seriously consider the Grain and Feed PAC as NGFA fights for you on Capitol Hill!

As the NGFA moves forward, your involvement in highlighting the “on-the-ground” implications of public policy decisions is going to be critical to achieving the industry’s policy goals in the nation’s capital.

I have experience in working with key decision makers for a federal agency, and cannot stress enough the importance of the grassroots advocacy efforts to this process.

Writing letters, making phone calls, attending NGFAsponsored events and contributing to NGFA’s Grain and Feed PAC will help protect your company’s interests in public policy.

Washington may seem like a daunting place, and the issues too big for one person to make a difference.

But the NGFA can have a meaningful impact by working in concert toward the goal of ensuring a thriving, competitive and growing U.S. agricultural sector.

Remember, every major piece of legislation that has been approved over the last 11 months has only passed by a handful of votes!

We don’t need to change the vote of every congressman or senator; in fact, the outcome of key votes can be changed by convincing just a handful of the right ones!

Coming soon, the NGFA will roll out an online advocacy tool that will make it easier for you to contact your congressman and senators to voice your policy views and concerns, as well as to support key legislative initiatives.

This strategic grassroots movement will work in concert with Grain and Feed PAC and NGFA’s staff to most efficiently utilize the industry’s resources.

We are very excited about the changes here at the NGFA, and hope you are as well.

Please don’t hesitate to contact NGFA’s Director of Legislative Affairs and PAC Treasurer Chris Holdgreve or me – Eleanor Rollings – at 202-289-0873.

I look forward to interacting with many of you in my newly created role as director of public policy relations at the NGFA and helping to enhance NGFA-member company involvement in the association’s government relations strategy.

Thanks!

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