Meat industry groups call for farm bill’s defeat
January 28, 2014 | 01:17 PM
The National Catttlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) held a news conference with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) today to call for defeat of the farm bill because it does not change requirements for country-of-origin labeling of red meat.
NCBA President Scott George said his group was willing to bring down the bill over COOL even though the bill would provide aid to livestock producers who have experienced disasters.
Disaster aid, George said, is a “Band-Aid” compared with trade retaliation. But he added that if the bill is defeated, NCBA will continue to work for disaster aid.
George said the cattle industry is “fairly confident” of defeating the bill, but NPPC President Randy Spronk said his group is “just starting” that effort.
Jessica Lemos of NAM said that the manufacturers’ group fears broader retaliation if COOL remains in effect, but also acknowledged that NAM is not “key voting” the farm bill, even though it does keep track of some bills and determines its support for members of Congress on those votes.
George attributed the decision to leave a COOL measure out of the bill to the lobbying by the National Farmers Union.
In a letter today to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, the NFU said it was “very happy that the bill preserves the ability of American family farmers and ranchers to distinguish their products in the marketplace through the existing Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) law.”
NCBA President Scott George said his group was willing to bring down the bill over COOL even though the bill would provide aid to livestock producers who have experienced disasters.
Disaster aid, George said, is a “Band-Aid” compared with trade retaliation. But he added that if the bill is defeated, NCBA will continue to work for disaster aid.
George said the cattle industry is “fairly confident” of defeating the bill, but NPPC President Randy Spronk said his group is “just starting” that effort.
Jessica Lemos of NAM said that the manufacturers’ group fears broader retaliation if COOL remains in effect, but also acknowledged that NAM is not “key voting” the farm bill, even though it does keep track of some bills and determines its support for members of Congress on those votes.
George attributed the decision to leave a COOL measure out of the bill to the lobbying by the National Farmers Union.
In a letter today to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, the NFU said it was “very happy that the bill preserves the ability of American family farmers and ranchers to distinguish their products in the marketplace through the existing Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) law.”
