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).

Congress Returns to Washington, D.C.:  Members of the U.S. House and Senate are back in Washington, D.C. this week after the August recess.  Although NCBA is pushing a number of legislative initiatives dealing with disaster assistance, trade agreements, and environmental issues, Congress isn’t expected to do any heavy lifting until after the November 7 elections.  Congress is scheduled to adjourn again at the end of September and head out on the campaign trail.

House Vote Strikes a Blow for Horse Management:  The House voted today 263-146 to approve H.R. 503, which bans the option of horse processing in the United States. This bill was opposed by over 190 national and state organizations including the American Quarter Horse Association, the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the American Farm Bureau Federation, and NCBA.  In addition, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns told House Ag Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) “USDA is opposed to H.R. 503 and all the amendments… In short, we believe that there is a significant probability that the enactment of this bill could result in a reduction in the humane treatment of horses.”

Attention Turns to the Senate on Horse Issue:  Proponents of H.R. 503 will now be pushing for similar language in the Senate.  Cattle producers are urged to contact their Senators and communicate their opposition to this legislation.  Visit http://capwiz.com/beefusa for more information on how to take immediate action on this issue! 

Passage of this legislation could set a dangerous precedent for the banning of other meats for reasons other than science, safety, or public health.  In addition, removing processing as a management option actually poses a greater risk to horse welfare.  “As many as 90,000 horses will need care, food and shelter,” said Texas cattleman and NCBA member Paxton Ramsey who recently testified before Congress on the issue.  “H.R. 503 fails to address the problems of costs for care, the unintended mistreatment of these animals in non-regulated rescue facilities, and the environmental concerns of disposing of carcasses.” 

Drought and Disaster Relief Bills Introduced:  Senators Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) each introduced stand-alone emergency agricultural disaster assistance bills September 6 aimed at providing relief for producers struggling to cope with weather-related losses in 2005 and 2006.

NCBA has been actively working to obtain much-needed assistance for ranchers suffering from drought and other natural disasters, and this legislation takes heed of those calls for support.  Both bills stipulate funding to reinstate the Livestock Compensation Program (LCP) at 75 percent of the payment rates that were enacted in 2002, and provide funding for Livestock Indemnity Payments to producers who have incurred losses due to natural disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, and floods. 

Senator Burns’ package, the Emergency Wildfire and Farm Relief Act of 2006 (S. 3860), also specifies an additional $200 million for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and $100 million for the recently announced Livestock Assistance Grant Program (LAGP). 

Senator Conrad’s bill, the Emergency Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2006 (S. 3855), also includes $30 million to address the current needs of the Emergency Conservation Program.

Japanese Consumers Want More U.S. Beef:  Demand for U.S. beef by Japanese consumers is so high that many Japanese retailers and restaurants are running short of supplies, according to media reports this week.  The Den grilled beef restaurant chain exhausted their stock four days after putting U.S. beef back on the menu at its 57 outlets. "Its popularity was greater than expected," said an official with the chain. 

Yoshinoya D&C Co., which operates about 1,000 “beef bowl” restaurants in Japan, plans to resume selling U.S. beef September 18, but the chain can only offer it on a limited basis due to their inability to secure supplies.  Company President Shuji Abe said the chain will have just 1 million servings, which are likely to sell out before the day is over.  "I'm filled with joy now about being able to make it and offer it," Abe told reporters this week.  In February 2005, Yoshinoya garnered media attention by offering a one-day sale advertised as "the last remaining U.S. beef in Japan."  The sale prompted lines out the door of many Yoshinoya restaurants, and the dish sold out in record time.

Costco Wholesale Japan, which became the first supermarket to sell U.S. beef in Japan in early August, sold out of all its stock the next morning.  Four other supermarket chains reportedly will sell U.S. beef this week, but expect the stock will last only one or two days.

South Korean FTA Talks:  U.S.–South Korea free trade agreement (FTA) talks resumed this week, September 6-9 in Seattle. The U.S. government launched negotiations on an FTA with South Korea earlier this year.  Currently, average South Korea’s tariff on beef imports is a whopping 40 percent!  NCBA supports the launch of this FTA with South Korea, pending the re-opening of the South Korean market to U.S. beef, elimination of tariffs, and resolution of important sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues.

Korea Could Resume Beef Trade Soon: South Korean officials have wrapped up their inspection tour of U.S. meat packing plants.  Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns said this week he expects beef trade with South Korea to resume in a month, approximately the beginning of October, although there is no timeframe set for an official announcement.

In related news, the prices of major foods including beef, pork, milk and potatoes in Korea are the fifth highest among 34 leading economies. The country has become one of the world’s most expensive nations, with consumer prices soaring about 20 percent since 2000. 

A comparative study on consumer price growth in 30 OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) member countries from 2000 to the first six months of 2006 showed Korea experiencing a growth rate of 20.3 percent on average.  During the same period, consumer prices increased 17.8 percent in the United States.  According to statistics on wages and food prices in 34 major countries compiled by the International Labor Organization, beef cost US$48.09 per kg in Korea, the second most expensive following Japan with $76.52.

Colombian Trade:  In good news for cattle producers, NCBA expects Colombia’s ban on U.S. beef to be lifted before the end of October. President Bush has notified Congress of the Administration’s intent to sign a free trade agreement with Colombia, once the Government of Colombia has recognized the measures that the U.S. has taken with regard to BSE and confirmed that it will permit importation of U.S. beef no later than October 31, 2006. It is expected that Colombia will permit entry of all beef and beef products, including bone-in and boneless beef, as well as offals, regardless of age, provided high-risk material is removed and the products are certified by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.

NCBA applauds action by Richard Crowder, chief agricultural negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. “This has been a tough fight, standing up for beef trade based on internationally recognized guidelines,” says NCBA’s Vice President of Government Affairs Jay Truitt. “Ambassador Crowder did an exceptional job at negotiating the details to ensure that U.S. cattlemen will finally be able to export high quality beef products to Colombia. We appreciate the attention to detail, and we look forward to re-building and expanding our trade relationship with Colombia.”

Texas Cattleman to Testify at Senate Farm Bill Hearing: The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a field hearing on Farm Bill development on Friday, September 8 in Lubbock, Texas where Texas Cattleman Dale Smith will testify on behalf of Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and Texas Cattle Feeders Association.  The committee continues to host a series of field hearings across the nation on the development of the 2007 Farm Bill.  For more information, or to listen to the hearing on-line, go to: http://agriculture.senate.gov. 

Superfund Bills Gain More Support in Congress:  With Congress back in session this week, cattlemen continue to urge support for a pair of bills in Congress which will clarify that manure should not be regulated under Superfund laws.  In the Senate, S. 3681 has 29 co-sponsors with Senators Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) signed on this week!  In the House, H.R. 4341 currently has 178 co-sponsors with Gresham Barrett (R-S.C.) signed on this week! 

Visit http://capwiz.com/beefusa to see a full list of co-sponsors.  If your Senator or Representative has not yet signed on as a supporter, send a message to them asking them to sign on and communicate to them about the importance of this issue! 

Clean Water Act CAFO Comments:  NCBA submitted comments August 14 to the EPA on the Clean Water Act Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) Rule.  EPA requested comments by August 29 on its proposed rule and draft Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) template. 

NCBA’s comments say “We support the adoption of reasonable measures that protect our nation’s waterways. The unfortunate reality is, however, that the 2003 CAFO rule and the modifications proposed to the rule required by the Waterkeeper decision have, and will continue to, force a large number of smaller operations to go out of business.” 

A major concern for CAFO operators is that the 2nd Circuit Court (Waterkeeper) decision leaves many unanswered questions that the EPA must address before producers can know if the rule actually affects them, and if it does, how to comply.  “NCBA requests that the EPA clarify the expensive reality of the NPDES permit program for CAFO owners and operators…That way, they will be able to make informed decisions about financial and liability realities associated with their CAFO operation.”

NCBA’s detailed comments are posted online at www.beefusa.org (click “Government Affairs” > “Natural Resources and the Environment” > “CAFO Rule”).

Election Day 2006 Approaching:  The 2006 mid-term election campaigns for the U.S. House and Senate are heating up, with Election Day, November 7, now just two months away. In the House, all 435 seats are up for re-election and in the Senate, 33 of the 100 seats are being contested. Political analysts from across the nation are analyzing the key races and making predictions about who will have majority control over the upcoming 110th Congress.

NCBA urges all cattle producers to get involved with the upcoming elections. Take action and stand up for candidates who stand up for agriculture. Every election brings changes in the U.S. Congress, and those changes can be a determining factor as NCBA cattle producer-members define their priorities for the coming years. The party that controls the House and Senate also takes majority control over the committees. When it comes to voter turnout, participation in the rural districts is always a key factor! 

Cooperative Conservation Listening Sessions Ongoing: Listening sessions on cooperative conservation and environmental partnerships hosted by the Secretaries of Interior, Commerce and Agriculture, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality continue this month.  Discussion will focus on how the government can better work with local communities and landowners to protect the environment and promote conservation.  In a joint statement, the agencies said they want to better respect the interests of people with ownership in land, water, and other natural resources. 
For more information on each location, go to: http://cooperativeconservation.gov/sessions.
Sessions are scheduled as follows: 

• Show Low, Arizona, 10 a.m., Sept. 12, 2006
• Redding, California, 1 p.m., Sept. 13, 2006
• Colorado Springs, Colorado, 11 a.m., Sept. 15, 2006
• Virginia Key, Florida, 10:00 a.m., Sept. 15, 2006
• Pottstown, Pennsylvania, 10 a.m., Sept. 18, 2006
• Pinedale, Wyoming, 1 p.m., Sept. 19, 2006
• Brewer, Maine, 4 p.m., Sept. 20, 2006
• Brunswick, Georgia, 1 p.m., Sept. 21, 2006
• Orlando, Florida, Time TBD, Sept. 25, 2006
• Waco, Texas, 10 a.m., Sept. 27, 2006
• Colton, California, 10 a.m., Sept. 28, 2006

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 785,638 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 Camarra or Karen Batra at 202-347-0228, taugustson@beef.org or kbatra@beef.org.