2006 CCC Archive
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).
Ranchers, Farmers Prepare for Death Tax Vote: As the Senate prepares for Memorial Day recess next week, America’s farmers and ranchers are turning up the heat in their hometowns and talking about how this devastating tax on the American dream must go. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has said he hopes to get the bill on the Senate floor soon after Congress returns to Washington the week of June 5. On NBC’s Today Show May 24, Frist said "We will in early June address things like burying the Death Tax forever… an issue of equity."
Ranchers and farmers can talk to their Senators at home over the May 27-June 4 Congressional recess. Visit our special Death Tax web resource at http://hill.beef.org/tax for more information and tools to use as part of this effort. Of course, producers can continue to send letters to their Senators though our Cap Wiz web site at http://capwiz.com/beefusa.
The Death Tax Hurts Real Working People: Boyd Spratling, a rancher in Nevada, tells his Death Tax story (for more personal real-life stories, visit http://hill.beef.org/tax): “Ours is a family operation, with the fourth generation now at the ranch, and we're very concerned about the stability of agriculture. One of the most important ways to stabilize family agriculture is to permanently repeal the Death Tax. The tax is destructive for us because ranches and farms are very high capital-intensive operations. We have a lot invested through generations of modest living. We have a lot invested in our operation, our cattle, our land, our equipment. We have very close margins that we live on. When we pass to the next generation, we're not talking about trust fund kids that have never been at the ranch. We're passing operations to someone that has worked all their life on the land. They may be well into their forties or fifties, having worked there and built that operation all their life. Now those same people have to repurchase their own ranch from the government, and I just think that's the ultimate injustice.”
U.S. House Passes FY 07 Agriculture Appropriations Bill: The Fiscal Year 2007 Ag Appropriations Bill (H.R. 5384) passed the U.S. House of Representatives May 23 by a vote of 378 to 46. The bill funds USDA and FDA programs related to protecting the food supply, protecting livestock health including BSE monitoring and prevention efforts, and funding for nutrition programs.
The bill also contains language requiring USDA to issue a formal Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on their development and implementation of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). This rulemaking will detail information regarding USDA’s costs of implementing the system, analyze the economic impact of the NAIS, outline what USDA has learned in its pilot projects, and provide a roadmap for next steps. NCBA was very supportive of this language as a means to make transparent USDA’s process for proceeding with the animal ID issue.
The Ag Appropriations process now moves to the U.S. Senate for further action, where debate is not expected until mid-June.
Superfund: Cattlemen continue to urge support for H.R. 4341 in the House of Representatives. This legislation will clarify that manure is not considered a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA/Superfund regulations).
Congress established the Superfund program in 1974 to locate, investigate, and clean up toxic waste sites nationwide. The program’s objective was to protect human health and the environment from the hazards of chemical waste. But opponents of animal agriculture want to apply Superfund laws to livestock operations because of manure emissions.
H.R. 4341 currently has 157 co-sponsors with 9 new cosponsors added since last week! They are Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), Rob Simmons (R-Conn.), Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.), Lee Terry (R-Neb.), Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), Todd Akin (R-Mo.), Henry Brown (R-S.C.), Kay Granger (R-Texas), and Michael Burgess (R-Texas). Visit http://capwiz.com/beefusa to see a full list of co-sponsors. If your Representative is not yet listed, send a message to them asking them to sign on!
Japan Trade Update: Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) hosted a meeting today, May 25, with Japanese Ambassador Ryozo Kato to urge resumption of U.S. beef to Japan. In addition to Chambliss, the meeting was attended by Senators Wayne Allard (R-Colo.), Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), and Jim Talent (R-Mo.).
In a letter to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi May 19, Senate leaders said, “Despite overwhelming scientific evidence supporting the safety of American beef and an agreement between the United States and the Government of Japan to resume trade, the embargo on beef from the United States still exists. We respectfully request that your Administration resolve this prolonged embargo before your anticipated visit in June.”
At Japan’s request, USDA recently conducted a review of U.S. beef processing facilities, and teams of Japanese officials are expected to visit U.S. beef processing facilities in the coming weeks to finalize their own audits. Japanese and U.S. government officials said May 19 that Japan has accepted U.S. measures to prevent further violations of a beef trade agreement, a major step toward restarting exports of U.S. beef to Japan, although no time has been set for trade resumption.
PRODUCERS ENCOURAGED TO ENGAGE IN FARM BILL DISCUSSIONS:
The 2002 Farm Bill will expire September 30, 2007, but Congress has already begun work on developing the 2007 Farm Bill. To prepare for the debate, NCBA is asking its members for feedback on what their needs for farm bill programs and policy might be. As a member-driven organization, your NCBA leadership and staff need to hear from you. Whether you would like to see an existing program improved or perhaps feel that another program should be eliminated, we need to hear from you.
Visit our website at http://hill.beef.org/farmbill to provide us with your thoughts and feedback on what works, what doesn’t, what you need or what you don’t. Your comments will help us plan for our farm bill discussions at the 2006 Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Reno, July 10-13, 2006, where you will work with your fellow NCBA members to shape NCBA’s policy direction.
Ag Committee Web Forum: House Ag Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) is urging producers to submit feedback on an online Farm Bill Feedback Form available at http://www.agriculture.house.gov/inside/feedbackform.html. Goodlatte said the form was created to allow all of America's agriculture producers who are unable to speak up at one of the field hearings to share their feedback on how the 2002 Farm Bill policies have impacted their businesses and what they would like to see in future farm policy. The information provided via this web form will be submitted to each member of the House Committee on Agriculture.
USDA Farm Bill Theme Paper Available Online: USDA has completed a risk management analysis paper, the first in a series of papers intended to provide factual information and continue the national discussion about best policy approaches in preparation for the 2007 Farm Bill. The paper is based on the more than 4,000 comments received orally and in writing during USDA’s 52 Farm Bill Forums across the nation. The risk management paper is posted at: http://www.usda.gov/.
Portman, Schwab Receive Senate Panel approvals: The Senate Finance Committee approved May 22 the nomination of Susan Schwab to be U.S. Trade Representative by a vote of 18-1. The confirmation now moves to the full Senate. Although Senate Republicans hoped to get Schwab confirmed before recess, some Senate Democrats are calling for debate and a floor vote on her nomination which will slow up the process.
Grilling Up over Memorial Day: The nation's top food safety official, Dr. Richard Raymond, USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety, reiterated summertime food safety tips this week. Memorial Day weekend marks the kickoff of the grilling season, and it’s important to highlight key safety tips for consumers and recognize how to avoid the most common mistakes backyard chefs make that could lead to foodborne illness.
For a refresher course, here are some key tips when grilling up this weekend:
- Keep meat chilled by driving directly home from the grocery store and refrigerating.
- Defrost and marinate in the refrigerator.
- Don't reuse marinade used on raw meat without boiling.
- Keep food cold when transporting or when outside.
- Use different platters and utensils for raw and cooked meat.
- Cook steaks and roasts to 145 °F, ground beef burgers should reach 160 °F.
- Keep hot food hot until served.
- Refrigerate any leftovers promptly in shallow containers.
U.S. BSE Surveillance: USDA’s Enhanced BSE Surveillance Program continues to test targeted animals identified as most likely to have the disease. Since June 1, 2004, the program has tested 720,079 cattle and has found only two confirmed cases, evidence that our safeguards are working and the prevalence of BSE in the United States is extremely low. Testing 268,500 animals can detect BSE at a rate of 1 in 10 million adult cattle at a 99 percent confidence level.
Media Contact:
Tanya Augustson or Karen Batra at 202-347-0228; taugustson@beef.org 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.