Thoughts from the Middle of Nowhere

The world's first ban on overly thin models at a top-level fashion show in Madrid has caused outrage among modeling agencies and raised the prospect of restrictions at other catwalk pageants.

Madrid's fashion week has turned away underweight models after protests that young girls and women were trying to copy their rail-thin looks and developing eating disorders.

Organizers say they want to project an image of beauty and health, rather than a waif-like, or heroin chic look.

But Cathy Gould, of New York's Elite modeling agency, said the fashion industry was being used as a scapegoat for illnesses like anorexia and bulimia.

September 12, 2006

The Honorable Dennis Hastert The Honorable John Boehner
Speaker Majority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives
Washington DC 20515 Washington DC 20515

Dear Speaker Hastert and Majority Leader Boehner:

We are writing to ask that you schedule time in the U.S. House of Representatives to debate and vote on emergency agricultural disaster assistance for 2005 and 2006 before the House leaves for its announced October recess.

Very limited and in some cases inadequate disaster assistance has been provided to some parts of the country, while other regions continue to be ignored. Farmers and ranchers are still struggling to recover from disastrous floods, droughts and other natural disasters in 2005, only to face another bad year in 2006, so the time to act is now.

Democrats have sought to provide disaster relief several times in the House. Last fall, Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee proposed emergency disaster assistance measures that were defeated by party-line votes. Democrats have offered similar proposals in the Appropriations Committee that were also defeated by House Republicans last fall and early this year. The Senate included agriculture disaster assistance in both of their emergency supplemental bills. Unfortunately, earlier this year, under pressure from President Bush's veto threat, House Republicans failed to stand up for disaster assistance in the conference committee, once again abandoning the pressing needs of our rural communities. Now, the Senate has included disaster assistance in its agriculture appropriations bill. However, since it is not likely that this bill will be completed before Congress recesses, this is another lost opportunity to provide this needed relief.

A coalition of more than 30 farm and allied organizations, including the National Farmers Union, American Farm Bureau Federation, Independent Community Bankers of America, Farm Credit Council and others have recognized the critical need for disaster assistance and are urging Congress to act quickly and decisively to provide comprehensive relief before the October recess.

Floods, droughts and other natural disasters have a profound negative economic impact on our small rural communities, impacting the banks, equipment dealers, grocery stores, and other businesses as well as our nation's farmers and ranchers.

The House Democratic Caucus recognizes the pressing, urgent need to provide this assistance in our rural communities, and we ask that you schedule time this month to debate and vote on a comprehensive agriculture disaster package.

Sincerely,

Nancy Pelosi
Democratic Leader

Steny Hoyer
Democratic Whip

James E. Clyburn
Chairman
Democratic Caucus

John Larson
Vice Chairman
Democratic Caucus

Collin Peterson
Ranking Member
House Agriculture Committee

Rosa DeLauro
Ranking Member
House Ag Appropriations Subcommittee

Bob Etheridge
Co-Chair
Democratic Rural Working Group

Stephanie Herseth
Co-Chair
Democratic Rural Working Group

The federal government declared Wyoming's cattle herds free of brucellosis, meaning costly restrictions placed on the state's producers over the last 2 1/2 years can now be eased, state officials said Tuesday.

The decision by the U.S. Agriculture Department to declare the state brucellosis-free will be official in the next several days when it is published in the Federal Register, according to Gov. Dave Freduenthal's office.