Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns
September 11, 2008

Contact: Heather Vaughan, 202-347-0228, or hvaughan@beef.org

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.

USDA on Board with Standardized COOL Affidavit: On Friday, September 5, 2008, representatives from the livestock and meat industries briefed USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Bruce Knight on a standardized affidavit that can be used throughout the cattle marketing chain to verify animals’ origin. 

Gregg Doud, Chief Economist, attended the meeting on behalf of NCBA, and reported that the affidavit was well-received by Knight. 

Additionally, USDA indicated approval of the industry position on so-called “gap cattle” which are cattle that were in the country prior to July 15, 2008, and thus automatically considered of U.S. origin, but which have since changed hands without being accompanied by the affidavit which will be mandatory on September 30, 2008. 

Industry representatives agreed that current owners should be considered to have first-hand knowledge of those cattle and that animals should be allowed to move from these premises on the same standard affidavit. 

NCBA is developing written comments this week to submit to USDA for consideration for the final rule. 

The full rule is available online at http://federalregister.gov/page2.aspx. 

The affidavit, as well as detailed information on COOL is available on NCBA’s website at http://www.beefusa.org/goveCOOL.aspx.

House Judiciary Committee Debates Horse Slaughter Bill: On Wednesday, September 10, 2008, the House Judiciary Committee debated H.R. 6598, the “Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008.”  Although the bill was slated for mark-up, the committee tabled the bill after initial discussion in order to debate other legislation. 

NCBA continues to actively oppose the bill, and sent a letter to House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers and ranking member Lamar Smith detailing the legislation’s flaws, saying, “This bill is the most recent attempt to eliminate a humane animal management option by banning the processing of horses for reasons other than safety or public health.  The legislation was introduced to protect horse welfare, but the provisions of this bill will do more to harm horses than it will to protect them.” 

Since state laws have banned horse processing, the number of abandoned, neglected, and starving horses has drastically increased.

Additionally, this bill would severely limit the rights of owners to manage their private property and subject horse owners to criminal prosecution should they sell their horses for processing. 

New Mexico Loses Bovine Tuberculosis-Free Status: On September 11, 2008, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued an interim rule changing one of New Mexico’s zones from accredited free of bovine tuberculosis to modified accredited advanced.  Previously, the state had been divided into two zones, one of which was modified accredited advanced, and the other of which was accredited free.  Since the detection of bovine tuberculosis in two herds since May of 2007, the entire state now has the status of modified accredited advanced.  APHIS is taking this action to reduce the likelihood of the disease spreading.  Cattle or bison moved from New Mexico now must meet specific testing requirements to leave the state. 

Kristina Harris Butts Joins NCBA as Manager of Legislative Affairs: The Government Affairs office of NCBA in Washington, D.C. continues to grow with the addition of a new lobbyist.  Kristina Harris Butts comes to NCBA from the office of Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas, where she took on tasks ranging from scheduling to legislative affairs.  At NCBA, Kristina will focus on food safety, energy issues and animal welfare. 

FSIS Holds Public Hearings on Irradiation: USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will hold a public meeting on September 18, 2008 to review a petition filed by the American Meat Institute to recognize the use of low penetration and low dose electron beam irradiation on the surface of chilled beef carcasses as a processing aid.  Kristina Harris Butts, lobbyist for NCBA, will attend the meeting.

Dr. Elizabeth Parker, Chief Veterinarian for NCBA explained why irradiation is beneficial, saying, “Irradiation is one of a number of strategies our industry can use to ensure the safest products possible for consumers.  Our members adopted policy in support of irradiation because—in combination with proper food handling techniques—irradiation helps prevent food-borne illnesses.” 

USDA Addresses Veterinarian Shortages: USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) has scheduled a public meeting for September 15, 2008 in Washington DC to solicit comments regarding implementation of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP).  In exchange for providing veterinary services in veterinarian shortage situations, USDA would help repay loans for participating vets.  

The shortage of large-animal veterinarians in rural areas is becoming an increasingly significant problem for cattle producers, who rely on veterinarians to ensure a healthy herd.  Long hours, significant travel, and high education debts all combine to reduce the number of students electing to serve large animals and rural areas.  

NCBA supports increased recruitment of veterinary students and an in-depth conversation of incentives to encourage students to enter rural practices.   

For more information, please visit:  http://www.csrees.usda.gov/business/reporting/stakeholder/an_stakeholder_vmlrp.html. 

USDA Holds Workshop on “Emerging Issues in Global Meat Trade”: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will hold a workshop September 18 and 19, 2008 to discuss the potential market and trade impacts of cloning, the influence of animal diseases and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) restrictions on trade flows, global meat supply and demand issues, feed grain suppliers in the global meat complex, and country-of-origin labeling (COOL).  NCBA’s Chief Economist Gregg Doud will be speaking on the impact of bilateral and regional trade agreements on meat trade.  The workshop is free and open to all, but space is limited.  For more information, please visit http://www.ers.usda.gov/ConferenceCenter/GlobalMeat/index.htm. 

Don't Miss the Award-Winning NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen:  On this week’s edition, airing September 16th through September 21st, we’ll learn more about treating brush in the southwest from the experts at Dow AgroSciences.  Plus, we’ll hear from the new CEO of the American Angus Association.

NCBA’S Cattlemen to Cattlemen debuts Tuesday at 8:30 p.m.  The show also airs Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. and on Sunday at 12:00 a.m.  (All Times are Eastern)   Don’t forget, you can watch NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen online anytime by visiting CattlemenToCattlemen.org.

NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen on RFD-TV provides weekly news and features for cattle producers across the country. It airs every Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, with repeat episodes on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. and Sundays at midnight (all times Eastern).

The program’s sponsors include Purina Mills, Fort Dodge Animal Health, Dow AgroSciences, Bayer Animal Health and McDonald’s. 

For more information or to check out past episodes, visit www.cattlementocattlemen.org.

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