Congress will take up a precedent-setting, bipartisan bill that would eliminate the worst of the worst junk food subsidies - or not???

Good news: our efforts are working — which is why we're kicking it up a notch. Last week, more than 9,000 of you asked Congress to end wasteful and harmful subsidies to industrial agriculture that have made junk food less expensive than fresh fruit and vegetables. Soon, Congress will take up a precedent-setting, bipartisan bill that would eliminate the worst of the worst: $28 billion in so-called direct payments over the next 10 years. [1] The junk food lobby is on the ropes, but they've got the money to make a last stand. We can't match them dollar for dollar, but with your help, we can launch a major grassroots effort from Wisconsin to Washington, D.C. Direct payments are a big reason why Twinkies are cheaper than carrots, by making corn and soy-based products like corn syrup and partially hydrogenated soybean oil so cheap. [2] Wisconsin will be a battleground in the upcoming fight, with mega-farmers putting intense pressure on our senators — Sens. Herb Kohl and Ron Johnson — which is why your involvement is so critical. Unfortunately, big agricultural interests have held sway in Washington for a long time, and they won’t give up easily. They have money and connections and they will leverage both to preserve the giveaways — even at the expense of kids’ health. They spent more than $200 million on lobbyists and campaign contributions in the last presidential election year alone. [3]     Thanks for your support, Bruce Speight WISPIRG Director [1] Notification from the office of Rep. Jeff Flake. [2] Michael Pollan, You are what you grow, New York Times, Apr. 27, 2007. [3] Agribusiness influence and lobbying, OpenSecrets, 2010. Here is the bill info: the Reducing the Deficit through Eliminating Agriculture Direct Payment Subsidies Act, or REAPS Act  (H.R. 2487), which would eliminate agriculture direct payments subsidies completely and permanently. Here is a press release from Congressman Flake, a lead bill sponsor: http://flake.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=251303. I AM LOOKING AT THIS WITH SKEPTICISM - READ THE FULL ARTICLE LINKED BELOW.  THIS MIGHT BE JUST A FOOLISH HOPE FOR WISPIRG -THE REPUBS ALWAYS CALL THEIR ATTACKS ON THE ENVIRONMENT, GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. I wrote this guy and he replied : On May 25th, I voted with 39 of my Senate colleagues for the Ryan budget.  YOU KNOW THE,  I DRINK TWO $350.00 BOTTLES OF WINE WHILE DINING WITH LOBBYISTS AFTER WORKING TO CUT SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICAID AND MEDICARE. THAT PAUL RYAN'S BUDGET.  But I really do not know.  I am doing my own research on this bill now and I urge you to do the same.  Are they lumping in renewable energy for subsidy cuts?  Because that is unacceptable.  We MUST get off fossil fuels NOW!  Are they eliminating subsidies for small organic farms leaving them to compete with Big Ag?  That is unacceptable.  Now, after building big ag since 1996 they want to stop so that organic farmers are at a disadvantage, forced to charge more for healthy food?  At the same time they would leave in place their non direct subsidies to ranchers grazing on public lands for a dollar an acre and lumber companies allowed to take from the public lands, old trees they sell to Japan for big profits?  I don't know.  I will write more when I know more. ABC’s Rick Klein (@rickklein) reports: As Democrats press to eliminate tax breaks and subsidies for big oil and gas companies, a growing number of Republicans are voicing agreement – on the condition that they also eliminate subsidies a far broader range of corporate interests, including ethanol, agriculture, and renewable energy. On ABC’s “Top Line” today, Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., promised an effort to eliminate all subsidies meant to encourage specific investments by corporations. “I think we need to get rid of all these corporate subsidies,” Flake said. “I don’t think the oil and gas industry should have any benefits that any other corporation doesn’t have in terms of depreciation of assets or whatever else. They should have no less and no more. So, obviously we got to look at a lot of the corporate subsidies. Ethanol -- It’s just horrible what we’re doing there—to the environment and to the tax payer. And our [agriculture] subsidies across the board, you name it. … We shouldn’t be doing these corporate subsidies at all.” read more here Of course, all real environmentalists agree with the Flake about ethanol but NOT about the real renewables, air, solar, geothermal,water energy and  hybrid cars.... so you have to really look at these bills and make sure they are not just eliminating the competition for dirty energy.