USCA (June 23, 2009) The U.S Cattlemen's Association (USCA) recently completed its "Turning Up the Heat" Summer Fly-In 2009.
Participants included USCA President Jon Wooster (CA), USCA Region VIII Director Allan Sents (KS), USCA Region X Director Danni Beer (SD), Pat Becker (ND), Chase Adams (SD), Peanut Gilfillian (TX), Bryce Gilfillian (TX), David Edwards (TX), Toni Spencer (TX), Charlie and Karen Reneau (TX), and USCA’s Executive Vice President Jess Peterson.
The delegation met with their Senators, Representatives, and lead officials in the Obama Administration. The delegation also met with various industry groups. Several pressing issues were discussed including USCA’s opposition to the poorly written Clean Water Act and the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act. Both of these bills create legal and regulatory burdens on U.S cattle producers. USCA members also continued to reiterate their opposition to a national mandatory animal identification program. Participants urged Congress to support the Beef Checkoff Modernization Act. This bill earmarks a portion of checkoff dollars for U.S. beef promotion. They also asked Congress to support the Foot and Mouth Disease Prevention Act, which prevents the USDA from allowing increased meat imports from Argentina.
USCA members met with senior officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Foreign Service Agency (FAS). Due to Hurricane Ike, Texas farmers and ranchers have suffered from a lack of funding and assistance from federal disaster programs. Independent Cattlemen’s Association of Texas Past President Peanut Gilfillian stated, “Our meeting with USDA was one of the most productive meetings we have ever had. One thing for sure is that these officials are committed to helping Texas producers get back on their feet. We learned a lot in this meeting and upon our return to Texas have received an unbelievable amount of additional support and help from Washington. Words cannot express how much we appreciate the help provided by USDA FAS Under Secretary Jim Miller, Deputy Under Secretary Michael Scuse, and their entire staff and officials that assisted in the process.”
This delegation also met with the USDA officials leading up the cattle fever tick eradication program. “Again, we were extremely pleased with efforts of USDA,” noted Gilfillian. “We heard good news about the needed funding being authorized to assist the efforts of fever tick eradication. We also learned that the USDA is expediting the process that will allow better vaccines to be used in the field.”
A hot topic on this fly-in was the impact that the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed endangerment finding could have on rural America. USCA President Jon Wooster stated: “USCA fly-in members specifically requested that the EPA extend its comment period by 60 days to allow thousands of farmers and ranchers ample time to comment on this poorly written regulation that could greatly affect their lives. This proposed rule to classify naturally occurring greenhouse gases as a public hazard could result in frivolous lawsuits against farmers and ranchers. Hopefully the EPA will not turn a deaf ear to U.S. farmers and ranchers.”
Wooster continued, “Fortunately there are bills in both the House and Senate that will help protect ranchers from EPA's possibly detrimental rulemaking. Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Chuck Schumer's (D-NY) S.527 will amend the Clean Air Act to exempt many agricultural emissions from cumbersome EPA regulation. Its equivalent, H.R.1426, has been introduced in the House of Representatives. We continue to urge Senators and Representatives to sign on and support these critical bills.”
Fly-in participants also asked their Senators and Representatives to encourage the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to aggressively defend country of origin labeling (COOL) against the WTO/NAFTA challenge filed by Canada and Mexico. "We are optimistic that by working with the Congress and the USTR we will ensure a successful defense of COOL under this challenge," commented Danni Beer, USCA's COOL Committee Chair. "It is incumbent upon U.S. producers to go the extra mile to defend the labeling law we worked so hard to see passed in the United States."
USCA's Executive Vice President Jess Peterson concluded: "I appreciate each and every one of these ranchers for taking the time and making the trip to Washington, D.C. The issues are heating up here in Washington and these ranchers made a big difference. Each meeting and discussion that takes place in fly-ins like this play a big role in good legislation moving forward and bad legislation being defeated.”