Today, the Senate will begin consideration of amendments to the farm bill, S. 3240, including the following four Coburn amendments:

Coburn-Durbin amendment #2439 - Senators Coburn and Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) filed this amendment that would reduce the level of federal premium support for crop insurance participants with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) over $750,000 by 15 percentage points for all buy-up policies beyond catastrophic coverage. 

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates this amendment would save more than $1.2 billion dollarsover ten years. Earlier this year, Senators Coburn and Durbin sent this letter to the Senate Agriculture Committee regarding their recommendations for reforming the federal crop insurance program. Additional background on the amendment, here. One-page background sheet, here.

Coburn amendment #2214 (subject to a 60 vote threshold)- This bipartisan amendment would prohibit the use of money from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund (PECF) for Party Conventions in the elections occurring after December 31, 2012. Additionally, it would allow funds disbursed before that time to be returned to the Treasury for the purpose of deficit reduction. Earlier this month, Dr. Coburn introduced this legislation as a stand alone bill, S. 3257. Additional background on the amendment here. 

Supporting documents

• View text of the legislation, here. 
• Dr. Coburn's Statement for the Congressional Record, here.
• Congressional Research Service report on 2008 Democratic and Republican national convention spending and data provided by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on PECF expenditures used for party conventions. 
• Examples of spending by-the-numbers: Republican National Convention Committee. 
• Examples of spending by-the-numbers: Democratic National Convention Committee.
• Dr. Coburn called for the elimination of taxpayer subsidies for party conventions in his 2011 Wastebook report, citing this report from the Congressional Research Service on federal funding for 2012 Presidential nominating conventions.
• Additional explanation of how the Presidential Election Campaign Fund (PECF) operates.  
• Background on other efforts from the Republican Study Caucus (RSC) to eliminate funding for conventions in 2009: here. 

Coburn amendment #2289 - To reduce the Market Access Program (MAP) by 20 percent. Additional background, here. 

Coburn amendment #2293 - To limit subsidies to millionaires. Additional background, here.

Supporting Dr. Coburn's amendments:

National Taxpayers Union (NTU) supports Coburn amendments #2214, #2289, and #2293. View their letter of support here.

Taxpayers for Commonsense support amendments #2289 and #2439. View their letter of support here.

Citizens Against Government Waste supports amendments #2289 and #2439. View their letter of support here.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) supports amendment #2214. View their letter here.