2007 CCC Archive
Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns
December 13, 2007
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’d like to include NCBA’s logo, contact us at 202-347-0228.
Farm Bill Update: The Senate resumed discussions on their Farm Bill last Friday, December 7th under the agreement that Republicans and Democrats would be allowed to offer 20 amendments each. Debate continues, and at press time, votes on key amendments are expected into the night and tomorrow.
In good news for NCBA’s cattle producer-members, the Enzi captive supply amendment, which NCBA has worked to oppose, will not be one of the 20 amendments for consideration on the Republican side. This amendment aimed to outlaw the ability for cattle producers to engage in confidential, one-on-one business deals with prospective buyers, require at least one blind bid, and limit the number of cattle within a contract.
Thanks to the many calls and emails from NCBA members across the country, the Tester business justification amendment failed today by a vote of 40-55.
Other amendments NCBA continues to watch include the Grassley competition task force amendment, the Harkin competitive injury amendment and the Domenici amendment dealing with renewable fuels. NCBA is working with several Senate offices to urge them to vote down these damaging amendments.
We have reinforced our position with Senate leaders that if any of these amendments are included, we urge them to vote against the entire Farm Bill. NCBA members are encouraged to call or email their Senators and ask them to object to these amendments. If you need help contacting Senate offices or have any questions about Farm Bill amendments, you can call Elizabeth Bostdorff in NCBA’s Washington office at (202) 347-0228 or email her at ebostdorff@beef.org.
Energy Bill Update: At press time, a vote on a stripped-down energy bill is expected in the Senate tonight. The House passed H.R. 6, the Energy Security and Independence Act of 2007, on December 6th by a vote of 235-181. But in the Senate, two separate cloture motions failed (a cloture motion limits debate on a bill and moves it to the floor for a quick vote) and the Senate was working to remove some of the more controversial items in the bill, including a $21 billion tax package, to facilitate passage later tonight. Expectations are that the final bill will continue to include a mandated increase to the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). Should the Senate approve this package, it will likely come up for a vote in the House early next week.
Cattle producers, along with other livestock groups, continue to urge Congress to oppose increasing the government mandate for feedgrain-based ethanol.
“Congress needs to carefully examine the impacts of the current RFS mandate before moving forward with policy to increase that mandate even more,” said NCBA’s Manager of Legislative Affairs Jason Jordan. “Historically, we have seen drought and other natural disasters destroy cropland. It would be ill conceived to enact policy without a mechanism to reduce the mandate in the event of a short corn crop.”
Senate Committee Looks at the Clean Water Act: The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing today, Thursday, December 13th entitled, “The Clean Water Act following the recent Supreme Court decisions in Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County and Rapanos-Carabell.” Although the hearing was not intended to specifically address current legislation that seeks to unnecessarily expand the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act, these bills (H.R. 2421 and S. 1870) were top of mind in discussions surrounding today’s hearing.
Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the committee, said the legislation fails to create a clear, concise and Constitutional definition of “waters of the United States” and will simply result in more lawsuits and more confusion. “If the Clean Water Restoration Act that is currently pending before our Committee passes, every homeowner in the country is unlikely to realize that their storm gutters could be designated point sources for which they will need federal Clean Water Act permits,” said Inhofe. “This incredible expansion of federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Restoration Act directly contradicts not just SWANCC but also Carabell/Rapanos in which a majority of the Court ruled that there are limitations to Congress’ power under the Clean Water Act.”
Inhofe also said he would insist on hearings specifically addressing the proposed legislation before any attempt is made to move it. More statements are posted on the Committee’s website at www.epw.senate.gov.
NCBA submitted written testimony to the Committee today for the Congressional Record. “NCBA does not agree with Senator Feingold that S. 1870 ‘restores’ Congressional intent regarding the extent of federal jurisdiction over our waters when the Clean Water Act was enacted in 1972,” said NCBA. “Instead, the bill ignores Congressional intent and greatly expands federal jurisdiction way beyond anything Congress imagined at the time of enactment.”
NCBA Submits Comments on SPCC Rule for Farms and Ranches: NCBA, as part of a coalition of agriculture groups, is finalizing comments to the EPA regarding its proposed rule for Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) for ag operations. EPA published their proposed rule in the October 15th Federal Register, opening a 60-day comment period. The deadline for comments is Friday, December 14th. EPA has posted a fact sheet on the proposed rule on their website at http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/spcc_oct07.htm.
The program regulates large fuel tanks in an effort to prevent spills on farms or ranches. This rule applies to operations that store, transfer, use or consume oil or oil products if the operation’s above-ground capacity is greater than 1,320 gallons or if the operation’s buried oil storage capacity is greater than 42,000 gallons.
In their rule, the EPA would require a facility response plan is required and certification by a professional engineer if storage capacity is 10,000 gallons or more. EPA establishes that a facility with above ground storage capacity of 10,000 gallons or less may be eligible for a self-certification plan in lieu of a professional engineer. In its comments, NCBA urges EPA to consider increasing the threshold trigger for regulation to 20,000 gallons.
“The fact is many farms that receive bulk fuel will have one 10,000-gallon gasoline tank and one 10,000-gallon diesel fuel tank,” NCBA says. “Therefore, the Coalition urges the EPA to adopt a 20,000-gallon threshold as reasonable and critical for farm operations.”
Meet Your NCBA Field Representative! Mark Wellman of Fowler, Ill., is NCBA’S east/central field representative. Mark works primarily in Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois.
Mark has nearly 20 years of industry experience in both beef production and marketing. Most recently, Mark was a territory sales manager for AgInfoLink USA working extensively in the fields of cattle electronic identification, data collection, and data management. Mark also has 17 years of experience in the livestock feed business with ADM/MoorMan’s.
“Mark is a beef industry expert who spent more than two decades helping cattlemen find and use technologies and information to increase profit opportunities on the farm and ranch,” says NCBA’s Vice President of Affiliate Relations and Member Services Polly Ruhland. “He’s a cattleman himself, and he adds a veteran’s depth of knowledge and experience to NCBA’s membership team. Mark provides a constant flow of new and creative ideas, and we are fortunate to be able to tap into his experience and resourcefulness, as we continue to grow NCBA membership across the country.”
Mark has a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture with an animal science emphasis from the University of Illinois. He and his family live on a small beef cattle operation near Quincy, Illinois.
Don’t Miss the 3rd Annual NCBA-PAC/PEF All-Breed Bull and Horse Auction! Held in conjunction with the 2008 Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show, the NCBA-PAC/PEF All-Breed Bull and Horse Auction offers convention attendees a chance to purchase some of the best genetics and seed stock in the nation – and support NCBA-PAC at the same time!
The auction is scheduled for 6:30 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2008, at Booth 101 in the trade show at the Reno Sparks Convention Center.
Thanks to those outstanding operations that have contributed to this exciting event so far, including:
- Dalebanks Angus Ranch - Eureka, Kansas
- Gardiner Angus Ranch - Ashland, Kansas
- Genex Cooperative - Shawano, Wisconsin
- Marshall Cattle Company - Burlington, Colorado
- One Penny Ranch - Foley, Minnesota
- Wulf Limousin Farms - Morris, Minnesota
- Yon Family Farms - Ridge Spring, South Carolina
Donators receive national marketing for their operation through the National Cattlemen's Magazine, pre- and post-convention exposure to all NCBA members in a sale catalog distributed at convention, their name displayed prominently at convention events, a ribbon badge signifying their donation, and also VIP passes to the NCBA-PAC event featuring Tracy Lawrence on Friday evening!
It isn't too late to join this exceptional group! Contribute to the 3rd Annual NCBA-PAC/PEF All-Breed Bull and Horse Auction by contacting Lindsay Bowman at 202-347-0228 or lbowman@beef.org by January 4, 2008!
2008 Cattle Industry Annual Convention, February 6-9!: The 2008 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show will be held February 6-9 in Reno, Nevada. The meeting will feature joint and individual meetings by NCBA, Cattlemen's Beef Promotion & Research Board, American National CattleWomen, Inc., Cattle-Fax and National Cattlemen's Foundation.
Looking for some good entertainment while in Reno? Buy your tickets today for the NCBA PAC/PEF Dinner and Show featuring country music star Tracy Lawrence. Or kick up your heals at the Grand Finale Evening Event & Dance featuring Mark Powel and Lariat. Tickets for these events can be purchased onsite in Reno or by visiting our website at www.beefusa.org.
Congressional Breakfast: NCBA, along with the National Mining Association, hosted a breakfast on Thursday, December 13th with Rep. John Salazar (D-Colo.). Representing Colorado’s 3rd district, Salazar serves on House Committees on Transportation & Infrastructure, Veterans’ Affairs, and Agriculture.
John is also a cattle rancher and one of only a handful of active farmers in Congress. He knows firsthand the challenges being faced by America’s ranchers and farming communities. In his work on the Agriculture Committee, John works to staunchly defend rural values and make sure that the interests of family farmers are protected.
Farm Journal Forum: The 11th Farm Journal Forum took place this week, December 10-11, 2007 in Washington. The theme for the event was “Agriculture’s New Era: How Energy, Trade and a Farm Bill Shape the Future.”
NCBA Chief Economist Gregg Doud spoke on Tuesday morning as part of a General Session panel discussion on “Impacts on Livestock from Energy and Policy.” His fellow panelists were Joy Philippi, Past President, National Pork Producers Council and Bill Roenigk, National Chicken Council. For more information, visit www.farmjournalforum.com.
FMD Summit: NCBA Chief Economist Gregg Doud traveled to Billings, Montana on Wednesday, December 12th for a Foot and Mouth Disease Summit. The Summit was hosted by the State Beef Councils in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Washington and Oregon; the Beef Quality Assurance program; and Montana State University. Doud was the keynote speaker and discussed strengthening our herd biosecurity. Visit www.montanabeefcouncil.org for more information.
Nebraska Cattlemen Meeting: NCBA Chief Economist Gregg Doud is in Nebraska today for a pair of meetings with cattlemen in Broken Bow and Loomis. Doud is speaking about prospects for Nebraska and U.S. beef in foreign markets. This and other information on Nebraska Cattlemen is available at www.nebraskacattlemen.org.
Buy Them the Perfect Holiday Gift at Cabela’s: NCBA has announced a member benefit program with Cabela’s – the world’s foremost outfitter of hunting, fishing, and outdoor gear. Exclusive to NCBA members: 15 percent off of Cabela’s gift cards from NCBA for your cattle business! They can be purchased through NCBA’s web site at www.beefusa.org. The gift cards are redeemable wherever Cabela’s conducts business - whether in-store, online, or through the Cabela’s catalog.
Don't Miss NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen: On this week’s edition of NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen airing December 11-15, we showcase some of the 2007 regional winners of the Environmental Stewardship Awards. We will profile the Roaring Springs Ranch in Frenchglenn, Oregon where the ranch sits at more than 7,500 feet in elevation. Then, we’ll head to northern California to visit the Yolo Land and Cattle Company. Finally, we’ll head to Kansas and the Alexander Ranch where the owner says he’s in the business of selling used sunshine.
On next week’s episode airing December 18-22, we’ll showcase some of our favorite “Day In the Life” stories from 2007. First, we’ll visit Duane Martin’s operation in California, then we’ll head north to Montana, to the Cayuse Land and Cattle Company and the Bill Donald family. In Tennessee, we’ll visit Dell and Nancy King on their operation, and stop in on the Groseta’s in Arizona, where Andy Groseta is teaching his daughter Anna how to work in the cattle industry. Finally, we’ll visit 2007 NCBA President John Queen at his beautiful farm in North Carolina.
NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen on RFD-TV provides weekly news and features for cattle producers across the country. The show airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. and is rebroadcast Wednesdays at 4:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and Saturdays at 10 a.m. All times are Eastern. Make sure YOU tune into NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen on channel RFD-TV. For more information or to check out past episodes, visit www.cattlementocattlemen.org.
Media Contact: Karen Batra at 202-347-0228 or kbatra@beef.org.
This publication is funded by cattle producers and other industry supporters through their voluntary membership contributions to NCBA. To join the tens of thousands of cattle producers from across the U.S. in working to preserve our legacy, contact NCBA Member Services at 1-866-BEEF-USA or Membership@beef.org.