2007 CCC Archive
Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns
September 27, 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.
Ag Industries Press for Trade Agreement Passage: NCBA, along with other ag industry representatives and Acting Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner, participated in a press conference today to discuss the benefits of four pending free trade agreements.
NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Jay Truitt spoke on behalf of NCBA and cattlemen across the nation in support of the Peru Trade Promotion Agreement and other agreements currently before Congress. “This agreement presents a great opportunity for cattlemen,” said Truitt. “Not only does it allow immediate duty-free access for our Choice and Prime beef, but this agreement also sets the precedent for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) terms.”
In addition under the Peru Trade Promotion Agreement:
- All tariff rate quotas will be eliminated within 12 years.
- Peru has committed to recognize the U.S. meat inspection system as equivalent to its own, thereby allowing imports from facilities approved by USDA.
- Provisions contained within the agreement will give U.S. producers the ability to compete aggressively against Argentinean and Brazilian beef.
“Beef comprises less than 8 percent of Peru’s total agriculture gross domestic product, making it an exceptional export growth opportunity for U.S. beef,” said Truitt. In 2003, Peru was a $6 million export market for U.S. beef, beef variety meats and beef products. This improved access could amount to roughly $15 million a year, about half the value of Peru's current total beef imports.
Congress Considering Peru Trade Promotion Agreement: The House Ways and Means Committee approved draft text of the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA) on September 26th. Approval came by unanimous voice vote and without amendment. The Senate Finance Committee approved the proposed legislation on September 20th. A vote on the House floor could come in early October, soon after the Bush Administration sends up formal implementing legislation.
For U.S. cattlemen, the PTPA is one of the best negotiated free trade agreements to date providing for immediate duty-free access for U.S. Prime and Choice beef, and for the elimination of all tariff rate quotas on other products within 12 years. NCBA is working with more than 40 other food and agriculture groups as part of an Ag Trade Coalition in support of the Peru, Panama and Colombia Trade Promotion Agreements.
Hearings on Import Safety: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture held a hearing on September 25th regarding Food Safety. The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health also held a hearing on September 26th to review legislation aimed at addressing food import and safety concerns. The Energy and Commerce hearing focused on H.R. 3610, the “Food and Drug Import Safety Act of 2007” which was introduced last week by Reps. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), and Bart Stupak (D-Mich.). This bill combines food safety issues with various other non-safety related items including country-of-origin labeling, the use of carbon monoxide in packaging, a proposal to limit the number of ports of entry for food items, user fees and after-the-fact civil penalties.
NCBA opposes user fees and new applications of country-of-origin labeling when utilized in this context because they could be considered trade barriers. User fees and country-of-origin labels do nothing to improve food safety. Limiting the ports of entry for food and ingredients from the current 320 ports to 13, as proposed in H.R. 3610, would jam the trade system and stress the U.S. economy. This is also not a valid food safety strategy.
Our nation’s beef safety is assured through a multi-safeguard approach, which includes the implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) laboratory testing. Foreign countries that export to the United States are required to establish and to maintain inspection systems that are equivalent to those of the United States. FSIS audits foreign inspection systems and re-inspects meat and poultry at the port-of-entry to ensure that foreign countries have maintained equivalent inspection systems.
Both hearings focused on recent concerns with import safety, primarily with non-USDA inspected items. NCBA consistently supports evaluating and improving the current safety systems. This includes science-based standards for foreign equivalency, quality assurance within the production chain (before it gets to the border), and risk-based inspection at the border. NCBA supports a cooperative relationship between food producers and agencies, established protocol for protection against foreign animal disease and the verification of compliance.
Conservation Easement Legislation: Late Thursday, September 20th, the Senate Finance Committee voted in favor of legislation that would permanently extend a beneficial tax incentive for donations of conservation easements. The committee approved by voice vote the “Habitat and Land Conservation Act of 2007,” which includes language to permanently establish tax credits for landowners who voluntarily put easements on their property. The bill has now been reported to the full Senate for consideration.
“America’s farmers, ranchers, and landowners have a big role to play in the preservation of America’s diverse wildlife and of crucial hunting and fishing lands. This legislation rewards their conservation activities, and guarantees that future generations will enjoy America’s great natural bounty just as much as we do today,” said Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.).
Provisions in the Habitat and Land Conservation Act of 2007 will:
- Permanently extend tax incentives for farmers, ranchers and other eligible taxpayers who establish conservation easements
- Establish tax credits for taxpayers who take voluntary measures to help protect and to restore the habitats of threatened or endangered species. Taxpayers will develop a management plan with the Secretary of Interior or other agencies detailing the schedule, deadlines, monitoring and assistance of each specific recovery program
- Establish a tax deduction for the cost of specific actions recommended in habitat recovery plans approved under the Endangered Species Act taken by taxpayers
- Allow taxpayers to exclude from taxable income any payments received from the federal government under certain cost-sharing conservation programs
- Extend a provision to allow taxpayers to fully deduct the costs of environmental cleanups in the year the costs are incurred
Health Care Reform: Reps. Ron Kind (D-Wisc.) and Wally Herger (R-Cal.) introduced H.R. 3660, “the Equity for Our Nation's Self-Employed Act” on September 25th. This legislation seeks to allow the self-employed to fully deduct their health insurance premiums for the purposes of both income tax and self-employment tax.
“Around 60 percent of America's uninsured individuals work for small businesses that cannot afford to provide coverage,” said Rep. Herger. “Our simple, bipartisan legislation would help millions of sole-proprietors and their employees better afford coverage by allowing a tax deduction for 100 percent of health insurance expenses from payroll taxes, just like other businesses in the U.S.”
NCBA members developed policy specifically calling for “one hundred percent deductibility of health insurance costs for self-employed persons,” and NCBA is working to support this legislation. In addition to Kind and Herger, original cosponsors include Reps. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.), Ken Calvert (R-Cal.), Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), Randy Forbes (R-Va.), Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), Ron Paul (R-Texas), Thomas Petri (R-Wisc.), Todd Platts (R-Penn.), and Allyson Schwartz (D-Penn.). NCBA thanks them for their leadership and for taking a vital step toward addressing this tax inequity.
NCBA’s Western Regions, PLC Meeting THIS WEEK! Rancher-members from across the Western United States are in Jackson Hole, Wyo. this week for meetings of the NCBA Regions V and VI and for the annual meeting of the Public Lands Council (PLC). Among the issues being discussed are wildfire management, property rights and endangered species issues.
NCBA Region V includes the states of Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington and Wyoming, while Region VI is made up of Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. The PLC is an organization of public lands ranchers throughout the West, formed by NCBA, the American Sheep Industry and the Association of National Grasslands.
Colorado Rancher Wins BLM Award: In conjunction with the NCBA’s Western Region meetings and the PLC Annual Meeting, the Bureau of Land Management presented their Rangeland Stewardship Award this week to Jack Haworth of Walden, Colo. Haworth is a member of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, and holds BLM grazing permits in connection with his cattle operation in the Hebron Waterfowl Area, where his work has enhanced waterfowl habitat.
In a media statement issued on September 26th, the BLM said, “The BLM is delighted to present the Rangeland Stewardship Award to Jack Haworth who has made significant investments of his time and efforts to make a difference on public rangelands in Colorado, improving rangeland conditions and enhancing habitat for wildlife. His efforts, which include grazing management changes, and range improvement projects, have gone above and beyond our agency’s expectations. Mr. Haworth is helping the BLM meet its conservation goals, and he is an outstanding example of how ranchers serve as good stewards of the public lands.”
Codex Meetings: NCBA’s Chief Veterinarian Dr. Elizabeth Parker is in Chiba, Japan, for meetings of the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Food Derived from Biotechnology, September 24-28. More information is posted at www.codexalimentarius.net.
Mark Your Calendars For Annual Convention!: 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 the National Cattlemen's Foundation.
At the NCBA Trade Show, more than 250 companies will offer attendees a chance to see the latest products and services while networking with other cattle producers. In addition, many booths will feature giveaways, games and prize drawings. Whether you are looking for farm vehicles, fencing, feed supplies, animal health products or the latest in technology, you'll find it right here under one roof.
Education, information and networking are the cornerstones of Convention. But it's not all business, there will be lots of time to kick back, relax and enjoy your mini-vacation in Reno. Bring your family along! Additional details and schedule updates are posted at http://www.beefusa.org/convcattleindustryannualconventionandncbatradeshow.aspx.
Don't Miss NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen: On this week’s edition airing September 25-29, Cattlemen to Cattlemen examines the USDA rule expanding cattle and beef trade with Canada. NCBA Policy Division Vice Chair Bill Donald of Montana offers his perspective on the rule’s impact on global beef trade. John Maday of Drovers Magazine shares his outlook for the fall cattle markets, and we’ll visit the Dee River Ranch in Alabama to meet another Environmental Stewardship Award winner. The Cattle Learning Center discusses treatment and management of bovine respiratory disease, and we’ll announce the results of the 2007 National Beef Cook-off.
On next week’s edition of NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen airing October 2–6, we cover the resignation of U.S Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. Also, Randy Blach of Cattle Fax discusses an issue that is taking a real economic toll on cattlemen across the country, land prices. We’ll visit the Yolo Land and Cattle Company, winners of the Region VI Environmental Stewardship Award. Plus, we’ll take you to Maine to learn how the IRM Red Books are produced.
Fort Dodge Animal Health and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation are teaming up to provide five legacy scholarships for students interested in animal science and large animal veterinary medicine. On the next episode, we’ll visit Kansas State University to learn more about the shortage of students working to become large animal veterinarians. Plus, learn how you can contribute to the Fort Dodge Animal Health Legacy Scholarship Program.
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.