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Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns Archive
Contact:
Bethany Shively,
The Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns (CCC) is a weekly report from Washington, D.C., giving an up-to-date summary of top policy initiatives concerning the cattle industry; direct from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA). Please feel free to reprint in full or in part. If you would like to include NCBA's logo, contact us at 303-694-0305. | |
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House Livestock Committee Holds Animal ID Hearing
On Wednesday, House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry held a hearing on the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). Bill Nutt, President-Elect of the Georgia Cattlemen's Association, testified on behalf of National Cattlemen's Beef Association Cattle Health and Well-Being Committee.
Several key Congressmen, including Subcommittee chairman David Scott (D - Ga.) and full Committee chairman Collin Peterson (D - Minn.), indicated their intent to push forward with efforts to create a mandatory NAIS program.
In Nutt's testimony, he explained that NCBA is opposed to a mandatory national system. Under this approach, confidential producer records would be housed in a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) database. Our members have serious concerns about the privacy issues associated with such a system.
The release of producers' information would expose them to additional liability and risk, not to mention the risk of public dissemination of business-confidential information. As several incidents in recent years have demonstrated, the Federal government does not have a strong track record on maintaining information confidentiality. Furthermore, USDA cannot guarantee that the animal ID database information would be protected from release to the public under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Neugebauer (R-Texas), and others acknowledged that privacy would indeed be a serious issue of concern under the proposed mandatory system.
In addition to privacy concerns, NCBA is also troubled by the economic burden posed by such a system. Should a mandatory system be enacted, it is expected to come in the form of a "bookend approach," which would cost roughly $200 million per year. In addition, mandatory Radio Frequency Identification Devices-or RFIDs-used to track cattle would cost producers roughly $3-5 per head. For small and mid-sized family ranches, the additional cost of these tags would be prohibitive.
Many producers are already voluntarily taking part in validated, private-sector animal identification systems, which provide traceability and guarantee confidentiality. Complying with an additional national system would require a significant increase in time, money, and burdensome paperwork.
Furthermore, while the NAIS is designed to improve livestock traceability, it is not--as some advocates claim--a food safety tool. The Federal government and states already have coordinated policies and procedures in place to respond to a food emergency. NAIS is also unable to prevent the outbreak of an animal disease emergency. Its sole purpose is to track animal movement and location in the event of such an outbreak.
Our industry has serious reservations about an over-burdensome, costly and mandatory animal identification program. NCBA supports the use of a voluntary, market-drive approach to animal identification that supports genetic improvement, source verification, and disease surveillance. The cattle industry recognizes the need for an animal identification plan that is an effective disease surveillance and monitoring tool which serves the needs of America's cattle producers. Enabling state and federal animal health officials to respond rapidly and effectively to animal health emergencies is important in protecting our national herd, and NCBA has encouraged cattle producers to register their premise and participate in an animal identification program. Such a system should be workable, economical, and provide for strict confidentiality of producer information.
In addition, the private sector should have a role in providing identification solutions that fit the varying needs of America's cattle producers. The private sector should be utilized to provide identification devices, distribution, hardware certification, and the software to make the animal identification system work, and allow competitive market forces to benefit producers while maintaining the objectives of the NAIS.
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Senate Finance Committee Holds USTR Confirmation Hearing
On Monday, the Senate Finance Committee held a confirmation hearing for former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, President Obama's pick as U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). As head of USTR, Kirk will play a critical role in determining the future of U.S. beef trade. Kirk's nomination is expected to be considered by the full Senate next week.
During the hearing, Kirk said the Administration would conduct a comprehensive review of U.S. trade policy in general, including pending free trade agreements (FTAs), but declined to commit to a timeline for moving the pending Colombia, Panama, and Korean FTAs through Congress. However, Kirk indicated that the Panama FTA is likely to move first, and once a final review is completed and concerns addressed, the Colombia FTA has potential to move "sooner rather than later."
Also of note, Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa commented that the Administration will risk losing Republican support on trade if they attempt to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). If NAFTA is reopened, the U.S. could see higher tariffs on agricultural exports to Mexico. While Kirk assured the Committee that the interests of American agriculture would be taken into close consideration, he would not commit to leaving all agriculture provisions untouched if NAFTA were reopened.
NCBA is concerned about the Administration's plans to reassess current pending agreements, which have been negotiated in good faith with our trade partners in Colombia, Panama and South Korea. Our current economic environment is heavily dependent on the outcomes of these agreements and timing is extremely important. As other countries are begin negotiating trade agreements with pending U.S. trade partners, the U.S. is at risk of losing or greatly reducing its international market access.
We were pleased to hear Chairman Baucus in his opening statement call for the removal of unfair trade barriers as well as full market access for U.S. beef in Korea. As an industry, we are looking to the Senate Finance Committee and the new team at USTR to take quick and serious action on trade.
One of NCBA's top priorities for 2009 will be a strong push for increased access to international markets for U.S. beef trade, including expanding the market in Japan, which currently only allows U.S. beef imports under 20 months of age. An increase to 30 months of age and under could potentially boost beef exports to Japan by $1 billion.
NCBA will continue outreach and education efforts with members of Congress on the benefits of trade for beef producers. Passing pending FTAs with Panama, Colombia, and South Korea, as well as enhancing our trading relationship with our neighbors in Canada and Mexico will continue to be among our top priorities. We look forward to working closely with USTR, State Department, Congress and the Administration on these and other key trade issues in the coming year.
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House and Senate Introduce Employee Free Choice Act The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) was re-introduced on Tuesday in both the U.S. Senate (S. 560) and House of Representatives (H.R. 1409). The bill passed last year in the House, before falling short of a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.
NCBA joined with more than 40 national and regional agriculture associations last week in sending a letter to Congress urging them to oppose the Act, which would effectively deprive American workers-including most agriculture workers-of their right to vote in a private ballot process. Under the Act, workers would be subject to a "card check" program, which would eliminate anonymity and allow for coercion and intimidation during the voting process.
For more information on ADW, visit: www.coalitionforagriculture.org |
Public Lands Bill Fails to Pass in House
The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 (S.22)--which cleared the Senate in January--failed to pass yesterday in the House by a vote of 282 to 144. The bill was brought up under suspension, which requires a two-thirds vote for passage, and bars the introduction of amendments. If Democrats are able to pick up enough votes for passage, the bill is expected to be brought up again under suspension. Otherwise, it will be brought back to the floor under regular order, only requiring a majority.
The bill authorizes specified programs and activities in the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture concerning national wilderness designations, national rivers, the national landscape conservation system (NLCS), national conservation areas, land conveyances and exchanges, watershed management, watershed restoration and enhancement, wolf livestock loss, national parks, national heritage areas, water projects, tribal water rights, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and coastal and estuarine land conservation.
The Public Lands Council (PLC) has been closely monitoring this legislation and has been actively engaged in the provisions affecting our members. Specifically, PLC supported the "wolf livestock loss" section, which would provide grants to assist livestock producers in reducing the risk of livestock loss due to wolf predation and to compensate livestock producers for losses due to predation.
PLC and NCBA plan to submit a letter to the House expressing objection to additional restrictions on the millions of acres of lands covered under the bill, as well as concerns about bundling individual land deals into one package, precluding meaningful public review of these important measures.
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Delisting of Gray Wolves Upheld
On March 6, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced plans to uphold a decision by the Bush Administration to delist the Gray Wolf from protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). NCBA and the Public Lands Council are pleased with this decision, as wolves cause serious livestock predation problems.
The wolves in the Western Great Lakes and Northern Rocky Mountain states of Idaho and Montana and parts of Utah, Oregon, and Washington have been delisted, while the wolves in Wyoming are still protected under the ESA.
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Don't Miss NCBA's Cattlemen to Cattlemen!
Don't miss NCBA's Cattlemen to Cattlemen, March 17 - 21, as we take a look at the 2009 grazing outlook and hear from the experts about low-stress cattle handling practices. We'll also visit this year's National Western Stock Show and check in with Baxter Black for his latest wit and wisdom!
NCBA'S Cattlemen to Cattlemen is now an hour long! The show debuts Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. and airs again Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m. (All times are Eastern). Don't forget, you can watch NCBA's Cattlemen to Cattlemen online anytime by visiting www.CattlemenToCattlemen.org
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NATIONAL CATTLEMEN'S BEEF ASSOCIATION
1301 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20004 | |
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