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WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 9, 1999) -
Congressmen will take a break from the Beltway to spend time in
their home states and districts throughout August, so it is critical
that they hear more from cattle producers on policy issues affecting
the beef industry, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association said
today.
"Congressmen need to hear from cattle
country during the August recess," said Chandler Keys, NCBA vice
president for public policy. “Input from cattle producers through
personal phone calls, letters, visits or town hall meetings is one
of the most powerful, persuasive tools for moving public
policy.”
"When congressmen return to Washington,
D.C. in September, they will be geared up to take action on as much
legislation as possible before the session adjourns and the
election-year begins," Keys said.
NCBA has made progress in a number of
policy areas that signal Congress has been getting the message from
producers. Price reporting, tax relief, funding for research and
food safety, country-of-origin labeling, international trade,
federal lands and the environment have been debated at the Capitol
this summer.
NCBA will continue to urge Congress to
approve bills that fulfill policy objectives endorsed by cattle
producers. Action is expected in key issue areas in September,
including:
. The tax measure approved by Congress prior to recess will
provide $792 billion in tax relief over a ten-year period. The tax
package addresses top priorities for NCBA members: repeal of the
death tax, reduction in capital gains tax rates and enhanced
income management tools. In addition, 100 percent deductibility of
health insurance for the self-employed and relief from the
alternative minimum tax were approved. Congress will not send the
package to the President until after Labor Day. While President
Clinton has publicly stated his intent to veto the measure, cattle
producers can use the August recess to build support for the bill
that will put pressure on the President to sign it. NCBA will be
pulling out the stops to let congressmen and the administration
know how important these tax relief measures are to cattle
producers.
Marketing and trade. The Senate Agriculture Committee has approved
its version of mandatory price reporting, but did not bring the
bill up for consideration before the full Senate. The "Livestock
Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999" was adopted unanimously by the
committee. NCBA will be encouraging Senate leadership to schedule
debate on the bill as soon as possible in September. NCBA will be
working on a multiple-pronged effort to secure country-of-origin
labeling, and will be encouraging Congress to approve legislation
on country-of-origin labeling for beef as well as working with
retailers on a voluntary program. NCBA will also be working to
gain support for a proposed bill on "carousel" retaliation against
the European Union's ban on U.S. beef. The bill would give greater
force to the current retaliation by mandating the U.S. government
to switch around the products on the retaliation list so that the
maximum number of products and countries are affected.
Ag spending. The Senate passed-version of the agriculture
appropriations bill includes $325 million in emergency assistance
for livestock and dairy producers. The bill also includes critical
funding for food safety, cattle health and disease research,
conservation, trade and marketing programs. The Senate bill also
contains vital funding for the Livestock Marketing Information
Center (LMIC), which plays a key role in supporting the
development and analysis of livestock market information. The
House passed-version of the bill does not include emergency
assistance or LMIC funding. NCBA
will be working to gain maximum funding for the majority of these
programs, including the LMIC, Wildlife Services predator control
and food safety research. NCBA will urge that emergency assistance
be directed toward existing programs and should not be used for
direct payments or for livestock buyout programs.
Environment. NCBA will be urging continued congressional
oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency as it implements
environmental regulations, such as guidelines for concentrated
animal feeding operations, total maximum daily loads for impaired
waters and effluent limitation guidelines.
Federal lands. The Senate has not completed action on S 1292,
the Interior appropriations measure. NCBA has been working to
ensure the final package has the "Section 117" language that would
protect the renewal of federal-lands grazing permits. NCBA also
will be working to ensure that land-acquisition bills, HR 701 and
S 25, contain no-net loss of private property and no-net gain of
federal land.
-- NCBA --
Initiated in
1898, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is the trade
association of America’s cattle farmers and ranchers, and the
marketing organization for the largest segment of the nation’s food
and fiber industry. NCBA is producer-directed but consumer-focused,
with offices in Denver, Chicago and Washington D.C. |
