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APRIL 2005
Grange Grassroots Leaders Fly In to Washington, DC Another Record Breaking Fly-In 2005 Is A Huge Success Fly-In Policy Workships Digital TV Transition Renewable Energy in the 21st Century Implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act Telecommunications Reform and Promise The Federal Highway Program Social Security Reform Drug Safety Fly-In Grassroots Advocacy on Capitol Hill

Fly-In Policy Workshops
Monday, March 14 was an intensive conference day held at the Capitol Hill Club. At this conference, Fly-In participants were informed about various issues affecting rural America that the National Grange is currently monitoring. Fly-In participants also used the workshops to prepare their personal issue agendas for their Hill visits on the following day. There were seven different workshops covering digital TV transition, renewable energy, Medicare, telecom reform, highway reform, Social Security and drug safety.

Digital TV Transition

Jonathan Blake and Aaron Cooper, representing CBS and NBC local affiliate television stations, spoke to Grange Fly-In participants about what the digital TV transition means to rural Americans. While a deadline for the digital TV transition is being pushed to Dec. 31, 2006, less than 1% of Americans have the digital TV sets and 15-18% of Americans still rely solely on the over-the-air television. The hasty transition would harm rural Americans particularly because they depend heavily on over-the-air television service for news, weather and reports on local commodity markets. The over-the-air dependents will have to buy a "set top" box that will convert digital signals to display on their current analog TVs or buy an expensive new digital TV set. Even if all rural areas should transition to digital, the multicasting service - allowing a broadcaster anywhere in America to take the digital signal and create multiple streams of local programming - should be assured for local channels opportunities for local new and weather. U.S. House Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) plans in the coming weeks to introduce legislation to complete the transition to digital television by the end of 2006. The speakers emphasized that it is important to educate lawmakers that the digital TV transition should be delayed until all analog customers are taken care of and when the transition is made, the multicasting carriage requirement should be imposed on cable and satellite broadcasters, similar to existing "must carry" requirements for existing analog channels, in order for rural over-the-air television viewers to be able to take advantage of the full benefits of digital TV technology.

Renewable Energy in the 21st Century

Michael Eckhart, President of American Council on Renewable Energy, spoke to Fly-In participants about why renewable energy is significant for America and how it can benefit rural Americans. Eckhart summed up that renewable energy would help to increase farm income as well as improve energy supply/national security and environmental safety. Bio fuels such as corn-based ethanol, cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel derived from varied farm products including soybeans will boost American farm markets. Also biomass energy crops or wind turbines can provide a reliable energy source while bringing new revenue to farmers and rural communities. In all scenarios under current policy, the oil import problem gets worse and energy supply from oil and fossil fuels is physically constrained without new sources of renewable energy. Renewable energy sources can improve our national security by helping Americans reduce their dependence on imported oil and creating a more stable energy price. Also, renewable electricity and renewable fuels are more environmentally responsible. Eckhart introduced wind, solar PV, biomass and biofuels as growing renewable energy technologies for the agriculture sector that are feasible today.

Implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act

Nona Bear, a nationally recognized academic and professional expert on health issues affecting senior citizens, spoke to Fly-In participants about how the Medicare's new prescription drug coverage program will work for American seniors. Bear stressed that you need to keep an eye on "what you have and what you don't have" in the implementation of the new Medicare act and compare drug coverage plan that you already might have with the new Medicare drug benefit program to make a wise decision. For the first time since it was first enacted in 1965 the Medicare will offer, coverage for prescription drugs starting on January 1, 2006. You may choose one of the two types of plans: 1. Medicare Advantage Plans - a package that adds the new drug benefit to health care now covered by Medicare 2. Stand Alone Prescription Drug Plan - plans that offer just a drug benefit and can be used along with the usual Medicare benefit. The average premium for 2006 will be about $35 per month per person. In a standard plan, you pay the deductible of $250 each year. Until you have spent $2250 on your prescriptions the plan will pay about 75% of covered prescription drug costs. After you have paid $5100, the plan will pay 95% of covered prescription costs. For individual prescription drug expenses between $2250 and $5100 annually (known as the "donut hole") each Medicare recipient will be responsible to pay the entire cost of their prescription drugs. However, low income seniors will neither pay the monthly premium, nor have the donut hole. If you signed up in Medicare before January 1, 2006 you can enroll from November 15, 2005 to May 13, 2006.

Telecommunications Reform and Promise

Walter B. McCormick, President & CEO, United States Telecom Association spoke to Fly-In participants about where the telecommunications reform effort is today and what's at stake for rural America. The world of communications has changed dramatically - many of us will soon be able to watch television shows on our cell phones. Now we have VoIP, Internet phone service that brings cable companies and Internet start-ups into the voice marketplace. Today, more than 14 million have signed up for the VoIP service and experts predict 40% of phone calls will take place in the VoIP within 5 years. However, the nation's current telecom policy was written nearly 10 years ago, which means we are governed under a telecom laws and regulations that barely acknowledge the existence of the Internet. McCormick underlined that it's time to update the laws to keep pace with the marketplace and also it's time for consumers to decide what services and technologies best suit their needs, rather than have the government make these choices for us. He also emphasized that critical public responsibilities such as Universal Service, that guarantees affordable basic phone service for all Americans, remain in place and require sensible regulation. Universal Service is just one example of the fact that rural America has a tremendous stake in the effort to update the nation's telecom laws. Updating the telecom law is also important for rural America because it will encourage investment and head-to-head competition to generate jobs and economic opportunities in rural communities. Advanced communications can also enhance the rural quality of life, for example, speeding new telemedicine opportunities. In addition it will help rural long-distance commuters work from home to save time and energy. McCormick appreciated the strong bonds between his organization and the National Grange in fighting for a modern telecom policy and for Universal Service.

The Federal Highway Program

Greg Cohen, President & CEO, American Highway Users Alliance spoke to Fly-In participants about how the highway legislation, TEA-LU / SAFETEA, Congress currently is working on, will impact rural Americans. Federal highway policy directly relates to Americans' freedom of mobility, competitive advantage in moving global commerce, and the quality-of-life that allows us to work, recreate and spend time with our families. Rural road system - roads' safety and efficiency - also depends on how highway programs work. Nearly 43,000 lives are lost each year in crashes and about 60% of all fatalities occur on rural two-lane roads. The highway legislation, TEA-LU, will provide $590 million for a new rural road safety program. Congress is pushing the legislation to be enacted as early as May 31, 2005. Cohen urged Congress to have more well-defined purpose in the highway program that emphasizes safety, congestion relief, freight mobility in a global economy and the elimination of waste and diversions. He also called for the Grange's grassroots support. The National Grange has been an AHUA member organization since 1946 and National Grange President Bill Steel recently joined the Board of AHUA.

Social Security Reform

RetireSafe President Chip Hardin and his colleagues Vice President Michelle Plasari and Legislative Director Al Cors, Jr. spoke to Fly-In participants about what we need to care about when the Bush Administration and Congress tries to reform Social Security. Current dedicated federal tax revenues that cover all of the costs of the Social Security program will start to fall short of covering those costs around 2018 as the baby boom generation moves from the workforce into retirement. After that current projected benefits can only be maintained by using proceeds from the Social Security Trust Fund. However, even those funds will be insufficient to continue to fund Social Security obligations indefinitely. Projections show that by 2050 Social Security & Medicare will consume 100% of the federal budget. The Bush Administration's current solution is Voluntary Personal Accounts, however, recent polls find that the President's plan lacks clear public support. Hardin recommended that to be successful, any Social Security reform plan should elucidate detailed stands to secure social security benefits, provide a fair and accurate COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment), end the taxation of Social Security benefits and abolish the earnings limit for early retirees. He also urged Congress to formally guarantee Social Security benefits. He encouraged the Grange audience to ask about the "COW" - Control, Ownership and Wealth, when it comes to Social Security reform. Control involves individual rights and responsibilities to make a decision about their Social Security benefits. Ownership encourages the voluntary option of Personal Retirement Accounts for younger workers. Wealth is the ability to pass hard-earned retirement money on to our heirs.

Drug Safety

Dolly A. Judge, Federal Relations Senior Director of Pfizer, Inc. spoke to Fly-In participants about the importance and implications of drug safety legislation and regulation. While public and congressional confidence in the pharmaceutical industry and FDA is at a low ebb, Congress and the federal government are trying to reform the drug safety approval process. Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Committee Ranking Member Edward Kennedy (D-MA) introduced "Affordable Health Care Act - S. 16" that would authorize FDA to require post-marketing studies to confirm or refute significant safety concerns about a drug. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) is introducing "Patient Protection Act of 2005" that would establish new "Office of Patient Protection," with authority to withdraw from the market a drug found to pose a safety risk. Key themes coming out of Senate HELP drug safety hearings are mandating labeling changes, mandating post-marketing studies, Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) advertising restrictions and new drug safety review entity. HHS/FDA's "Self-Reforms" include creation of an independent Drug Safety Oversight Board and expanded website information on drug risks. For more details go to www.fda.gov/cder/drugsafety.htm. Mid April, HHS will announce additional "Self-Reforms" around post-marketing surveillance and DTC advertising. Ms. Judge predicted that whether by regulatory or legislative action, FDA's drug safety function would likely be given greater independence and increased appropriations might be allocated for FDA's drug safety function. Ms. Judge asked the Grange audience to recognize there will be benefit and risk at the same time in the current or proposed regulatory/legislative efforts for drug safety. She reminded Grange members that patients can face equally dangerous risks if promising new medications are not developed in a timely manner for existing conditions or if patients do not have access to, or any information about, new prescription drugs that may improve their conditions. She urged Grange members to stay alert to see if managed care restricts drug use in the name of drug safety or if those regulations confine physicians' ability to prescribe the best medications for their patients.

Fly-In Grassroots Advocacy on Capitol Hill
Tuesday, March 15 was devoted to Capitol Hill meetings between Fly-In attendees and their U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators - more than 100 individual Capitol Hill visits in one day! Fly-In participants experienced exciting moments to talk to their Members of Congress as they were genuine grassroots lobbyists who represented their local community and state. To their lawmakers they handed out the National Grange's Blue Print for Rural America of 2005 and also brought up their own state and national issues. For instance, Jeff Swainston, President of the Michigan State Grange, visited Sen. Carl Levin, Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Rep. Fred Upton to discuss the importance of the advancement of biodiesel and ethanol blends to the corn and soybean growers in Michigan. "I had an excellent response especially to biodiesel and ethanol blends from all three offices that I visited today," said Swainston. Gordon Gibson, Legislative Director of the Connecticut State Grange, visited Sen. Chris Dodd, Rep. Rob Simmons and Rep. Nancy Johnson to urge them to support more USDA Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) funding for Connecticut and to oppose reduction in tax benefits for the donation of land. Pat West, President of the Kansas State Grange, had meetings with Sen. Sam Brownback, Sen. Pat Roberts and Rep. Jim Ryun to discuss the need for town hall meetings for Social Security information and the need of interstate highway bill to keep Kansas on the move. She said those offices were all favorable to Grange positions. Fly-In participants' interest scale was broad and deep, which shows the Grange is increasingly proactive to legislative advocacy in the state and national issues affecting rural citizens.

Rep. Rob Simmons (R-CT) & Gordon Gibson, Leg. Dir. of the CT State Grange		Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) with Celeste Spencer, Meghan Sears & Leroy Watson		Rep. Bernard Sanders (I-VT) with Phyllis & Charles Mason of the VT State Grange
Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) with Laddie Marous & Lisa Thap of the OH State Grange		Sen. Gordon Smith meets with John Fine		Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) with Jeff Swainston, President of the MI State Grange

Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), Chairman of the U.S. House Resources Committee came by to address the Fly-In Grange members during a brown bag lunch in the U.S. Capitol Building. Rep. Pombo gave the Grange audience details about his Committee's major current issues - Endangered Species Act reform and Energy legislation. "Only about 10 of the ESA's roughly 1,300 protected species have recovered over the last thirty years," said Pombo. "We have to update and modernize this law for the 21st century, change our approaches, and focus on improving our results in recoveries." He also strongly supported drilling for oil in the Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR), which is in line with the Grange's policy. "The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the largest wildlife refuge in the United States, encompassing 19.2 million acres, about the size of South Carolina," said Pombo. In search of dependence on imported oil, he plans to maximize current petroleum and natural gas production in the United States.

	Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) center with Bill Steel, President of the National Grange (right) and Leroy Watson, Legislative Director of the National Grange (left)
	Rep. Richard Pombo speaking to the Fly-In participants at the Capitol Hill

"Our legislative Fly-In is a demonstration of grassroots advocacy," National Grange President William Steel said. "We are proud that we are able to give our members a unique, behind-the-scenes adventure into politics. We will continue to provide our members with enough knowledge as possible about political processes so that knowledge can better serve rural America." L. Claire Grissett, Legislative Director of the New Jersey State Grange, complimented the Fly-In that not only does she find it very educational but also an incentive to come back and put forth more effort in her state Grange Legislative Department goals. "I always look forward to the Fly-In," Grissett said. Another participant commented in a feedback, "I would like this Fly-In to continue. Many would not have the opportunity to visit Capitol Hill. Every state should send a representative."

More Information

Legislative Fly-In Conference Summary
2005 Fly-In Photo Gallery