WASHINGTON - December 10 - Environmental Working Group joined several groups today to call on lawmakers to stop a secret farm bill from being attached to any legislation designed to straighten out the nation's finances.

Scott Faber, EWG's vice president of government affairs released the following statement:

Our groups may not agree on many things. But, we are united in our view that it would be unconscionable for our nation's leaders to bypass the House and attach a $1 trillion farm bill to legislation designed to right the nation's finances.

This is especially true in light of the fact that both the House and Senate farm bills actually increase unlimited crop insurance subsidies at a time of unprecedented farm wealth.

At a time when our nation's leaders are asking ordinary Americans to contribute to deficit reduction, it is simply shocking that same bill, the fiscal cliff bill, might even give more subsidies to farm millionaires and might further expose taxpayers to liability for farm payments.

The time to pass a farm bill has come and gone. Congress should pass a fiscally responsible one-year extension of farm and food programs and allow the House to debate the future of farm subsidies.