Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns
September 18, 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.
NCBA Affiliates Take Action Opposing Horse Slaughter Bill: On Thursday, September 18, 2008, the House Judiciary Committee debated H.R. 6598, the “Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008.” Discussion lasted for an hour, and Congressman Issa (CA-49th) introduced an amendment which stipulated that the bill (if made law) could only be applicable if there was already a state law criminalizing the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the state where the conduct occurs.
Chairman Conyers adjourned the hearing with no votes being taken on either H.R. 6598 or the Issa amendment. Currently there are no more mark-up hearings scheduled for the House Judiciary Committee for September session.
NCBA continues to actively oppose the bill, and has encouraged members to contact their representatives in Congress to share how this action would hurt their businesses and its detrimental impacts on equine welfare. Through CapWiz (http://capwiz.com/beefusa), and a call to action for our state affiliates, NCBA made committee members aware of the legislation’s many flaws.
NCBA also sent a letter to House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers and ranking member Lamar Smith last week 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, the 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.
NCBA Argues that Dust Should Not be Regulated Under Clean Air Act: The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on September 15, 2008 on the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) appeal of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rule to regulated dust under the Clean Air Act.
“NCBA supports dust control measures, and our producers carry them out every day of the year,” explains Tamara Thies, Chief Environmental Counsel for NCBA. “But this rule would require an unattainable level of dust control, which could force producers to sell cattle to comply.”
Enforcing the standard of dust regulation would mean that activities ranging from soil tilling, cattle movements, driving on unpaved roads, and planting and harvesting crops would all be impacted.
“This could be devastating for America’s cattle producers,” Thies says. “NCBA filed an appeal on their behalf to fight against burdensome and undue government regulations.”
EPA released a final rule on regulating particles in the air under the Clean Air Act in October 2006, which says that states should focus on regulating dust in urban areas instead of rural areas. However, agricultural dust is nevertheless subject to regulation under the final rule.
Every five years, the EPA is required to review scientific studies associated with pollutants regulated under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of the Clean Air Act to determine if the pollutant is regulated appropriately. Dust has been included as a pollutant, despite the fact that the NAAQS is a health-based standard. In order to regulate a pollutant under NAAQS, scientific studies must show that the pollutant causes adverse health effects. There is no scientific evidence that dust causes adverse health effects that would justify inclusion in these standards.
Senate Energy Committee Approves Wolf Livestock Loss Compensation Bill: The Senate Energy Committee approved a compensation program for livestock losses due to wolves. The bill authorizes $1 million in funding and is expected to pass Congress this year. The actual amount of funding will be determined by the appropriations committee next year.
Under the bill, the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior will provide grants to States and Indian tribes to compensate producers for livestock losses due to wolves, and to assist livestock producers with non-lethal activities to reduce these losses. Standards for compensating producers are to be set by the individual states.
FDA and USDA Release Draft Guidance and Requests for Information on Genetically Engineered Animals: On Thursday, September 18, 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released draft guidance on the regulation of genetically engineered (GE) animals. The guidance document is intended to clarify the FDA's regulatory authority in this field, as well as the requirements and recommendations for producers of GE animals and products derived from GE animals.
At the same time, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published a "Request for Information" that seeks input on what types of actions and approaches it should consider under the Animal Health Protection Act (AHPA) that would complement FDA's guidance.
FDA and APHIS have complimentary roles in overseeing GE animals and have been in discussions for some time regarding this issue. APHIS is tasked with protecting the health of U.S. livestock by preventing the introduction and spread of livestock diseases and pests into and within the United States. Based on that authority, APHIS may broadly consider the potential effects of animals with GE traits on the health of the overall U.S. livestock population.
NCBA appreciates their collaboration and the publication of both of these documents to begin public discussions on this topic. We believe that an open and transparent process for developing the regulatory framework regarding GE animals is important.
GE animals have new characteristics or traits introduced through their DNA, which can include increased disease and parasite resistance. This can mean fewer infections, fewer veterinary visits, fewer dietary supplements, and an overall increase in health and well-being for the animals.
Under the draft guidance, FDA will ensure that GE animal products are safe and do what they are intended to do; the documents released by both FDA and USDA are intended to ensure the health of animals and public health.
If the GE animal is a food production animal than FDA will require that the animal or its products are proven safe to eat in order to enter the food supply. FDA intends to conduct a full food and feed safety evaluation if the animal or the product is intended for food.
Genetic engineering already is widely used in agriculture to make crops resistant to pests or herbicides. In medicine, genetic engineering is used to develop microbes that produce drugs and other therapeutic products for use in humans. In food, genetic engineering is used to produce microorganisms that aid in baking, brewing, and cheese-making.
Depending on the species of animal and its intended use, the FDA will coordinate its regulatory efforts with USDA and other federal departments and agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency.
FDA’s guidance is consistent with GE biotechnology standards passed in July of this year by the Codex Alimentarius Commission— United Nations international food safety standard setting body.
NCBA is currently analyzing and evaluating the draft guidance and request for information, and believes that an open and transparent process for developing the regulatory framework is important. NCBA supports the use of new technologies that are scientifically proven and help producers raise healthy animals, and we support a strong science-based regulatory framework for GE animals.
Comments on this draft guidance can be submitted until November 18, 2008. The document is available online at http://www.fda.gov/cvm/GEAnimals.htm.
Additionally, more information is available on GE animals on BIO’s GE Animals Web Resource Page, available at www.bio.org. Users can view and download resource materials related to this issue including fact sheets, answers to frequently asked questions and other information.
USDA Sets Aside Animal ID Numbers for Livestock Born in the United States: On September 18, 2008, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that the prefix “840” for animal identification numbers will be reserved exclusively for animals born in the United States.
The 840 designation will help producers participating in the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) more easily identify their animals as being of U.S. origin. Additionally, the exclusive use of 840 for U.S. born animals will help shorten the response time in determining the origin of an infected animal in the event of a disease outbreak.
House of Representatives Votes to Restrict Speculation in Futures Markets: On September 18, 2008, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6604, the Commodity Markets Transparency and Accountability Act of 2008. The bill, sponsored by Agriculture Committee Chairman Colin Peterson passed with bipartisan support of 283-133.
The legislation strengthens limits on futures markets to prevent price distortions caused by excessive speculative trading. Petersen explained that, “…the unexplained lack of
convergence between futures and cash prices in some contracts has
called into question the effectiveness of these markets as a source of
price discovery and risk management.”
The legislation sets trading limits for all agriculture and energy commodities, and requires the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CTFC) to higher more employees to prevent market manipulation and fraud.
A full summary of the bill's provisions can be found on the House Agriculture Committee website at http://agriculture.house.gov/inside/legislation.html.
California’s Bovine Tuberculosis Status Change: The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued an interim rule, effective September 18, 2008, to change California’s classification to modified accredited advanced for bovine tuberculosis. Previously, California had been listed as accredited free, but because of the discovery of two affected cattle herds since November 2007, the state no longer meets the requirements for that status. As a result of this change, cattle or bison moved from California now must meet specific testing requirements to leave the state.
FSIS Holds Public Hearings on Irradiation: USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) held 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. At the meeting, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service’s Meat Animal Research Center presented evidence that irradiation is effective in reducing levels of E. coli without altering the shelf life, appearance, or nutrients of meat.
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 Holds Workshop on “Emerging Issues in Global Meat Trade”: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) held 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).
Among other topics, participants discussed how the global increase in per capita income is positively affecting beef consumption and debated whether this trend will continue. NCBA’s Chief Economist Gregg Doud spoke on the impact of bilateral and regional trade agreements on meat trade.
Don't Miss the Award-Winning NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen: Don’t miss NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen! September 23rd through September 28th we bring you a very special edition of the show as we focus on the issue of Country of Origin Labeling. Join us as experts representing each sector of the beef business offer their perspective on what cattle producers need to know to be COOL compliant.
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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