©2026 League of Conservation Voters
2012 Scorecard Vote
52
47
Issues
Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) offered an amendment to S. 3240, the Senate Farm Bill titled the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012, which would reattach basic soil and water conservation measures to premium subsidies for crop insurance, restoring longstanding requirements that those who receive subsidies take some minimal steps to protect the public good. The amendment would save an estimated $60 million, ensure all farmers have a level playing field with regard to eligibility requirements for subsidies, and help ensure long-term farm productivity by protecting vital natural resources. It would also ensure that taxpayer funds do not subsidize damaging soil erosion that chokes our waterways, increases the cost of water treatment and dredging, and reduces the long-term productivity of farmland. Without the Chambliss amendment, this Farm Bill would allow for the destruction of tens of thousands of acres of valuable wetlands, resulting in increased downstream flooding, loss of wildlife habitat, and decreased water quality. On June 20, the Senate approved the Chambliss amendment by a vote of 52-47 (Senate roll call vote 155). YES IS THE PRO-ENVIRONMENT VOTE. On January 2, 2013, President Obama signed into law a broader legislative package averting the year-end “fiscal cliff” that included an extension of the 2008 Farm Bill through September 30, 2013; however, the Chambliss amendment was not part of the extension.
©2026 League of Conservation Voters