A
Anonymous
Guest
Today 11/3/2005 11:35:00 AM
Cattle Update: Burns On COOL
"We got down to the country of origin labeling that was put into law and signed by the President of the United States in the 2002 farm bill. It is the law of the land, and an overwhelming majority of both this body and the House of Representatives voted to put it there. Yet we are denied the money to write the rules and regulations and implement the law and put it into effect.
"This year, they just said: "We are going to go voluntary for 2 more years." I am going to tell you something. That has not worked. Now, there is nothing done here that is done in the dark of night. It is the law. Did we accomplish getting it implemented in this bill? No, we are delayed for two more years.
"What is even worse, there was no debate and no vote in the conference committee while the conference was going on. Just like I said, I have chaired conference committees on appropriations, and we did not leave that room until all of the issues that were still on the table were dealt with, folks got to debate them, we listened to them, and we got an up-or-down vote.
"We know that our cattle producers are pretty proud of their product. They produce a good product. We do not feed a lot of cattle in Montana, but we raise a lot of feeder cattle. They go to Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska to be finished out. They produce a great product for America's dinner tables, the greatest source of protein we have in our diet. They also want to know where it comes from, and that is being denied our producers today.
"I heard from my colleagues who say they should delay COOL until the farm bill. They say the law will not work and we need to rewrite it. I agree with some of that, but there are provisions right now that are in the current labeling law that need to be implemented.
"So I seriously doubt that any of my cattle producers can be convinced at this point that Congress intends to make a good-faith effort to improve the law as it stands today. We have had three years to work on that law, and the only thing Congress has delivered to the hard-working ranchers in my country is one delay after another, and that is unacceptable.
"We have given the meat packers years to volunteer and voluntarily label the meat. Not one packer has done that. We have certified Angus beef, and we have a lot of house brands and house labels and some breeds of cattle promote their production, but nothing says "USA." These delays are not designed to help us improve this important law; they are just a way [to let] the packers get their way.
"In all likelihood, this evening the Senate will debate this issue, and tomorrow we will pass this conference report. I did not sign the report, and I shall vote against it tomorrow even though there are some very good things in here, but enough is enough.
"Given the hysteria of the meat packers, one would think that COOL would destroy the whole industry, and one would think origin labeling is some outlandish, unheard of concept, when it has been around for the last four years. Packers whine about labeling products in the United States, [yet] the packers are engaged in country-of-origin labeling in foreign markets. I do not see what the difference is. It feels to me like you have been discriminated against for your product? And those who do not want labeling, are you not proud of your product? Are you afraid to put your brand on it? Afraid to put a label on it? What is the problem?
"Most of our major trading partners require country-of-origin labeling on imported beef and beef products. I could go all night about the situation in which we find ourselves in regarding to beef trade with Japan. We took a pretty tough stand. I believe that it is time that markets be opened.
"New Zealand passed a COOL law just last week at the very same time that this conference was shirking its duty to the American cattle producers. By the way, New Zealand is not afraid to put a label on their lamb. One can go to any grocery store, and the package says, ``New Zealand lamb.'' They are proud of that product. Yet we do not want to do that. Consumers in the United States do not deserve to know where their beef comes from, but foreign consumers do. That is the message we are sending on this conference report tonight.
"We know that foreign consumers demand U.S. beef. It is pretty plain. I have talked to the consumers in Japan. They are getting ready to serve these beef bowls. It is the most desired product we ship there. Yet by their standards, they have decided to keep our product off of their market. They have nerve enough to come here and expect us to accept theirs when they have a larger problem than we do in that arena. So Congress is telling the producers that they lose out again in this conference report with a delay provision put in at conference with no debate and no vote.
"I will cast a vote against the conference report when it comes up tomorrow. This is a terrible way to do business in the Senate. We can do better in this body. We can respect everyone's opinion and everybody's amendment and everybody's bill, but give them a vote.
"We are going to talk about a judge one of these days, and we are going to say he deserves an up-or-down vote. This issue does, too. There is no difference. And we were denied it.
"So I am disappointed, but yet we move along and there will be another day when again we will saddle up and try to get this legislation implemented, which basically is the law of the land. Make no mistake about it, this hurts our credibility. We better start taking our job very seriously."
Cattle Update: Burns On COOL
"We got down to the country of origin labeling that was put into law and signed by the President of the United States in the 2002 farm bill. It is the law of the land, and an overwhelming majority of both this body and the House of Representatives voted to put it there. Yet we are denied the money to write the rules and regulations and implement the law and put it into effect.
"This year, they just said: "We are going to go voluntary for 2 more years." I am going to tell you something. That has not worked. Now, there is nothing done here that is done in the dark of night. It is the law. Did we accomplish getting it implemented in this bill? No, we are delayed for two more years.
"What is even worse, there was no debate and no vote in the conference committee while the conference was going on. Just like I said, I have chaired conference committees on appropriations, and we did not leave that room until all of the issues that were still on the table were dealt with, folks got to debate them, we listened to them, and we got an up-or-down vote.
"We know that our cattle producers are pretty proud of their product. They produce a good product. We do not feed a lot of cattle in Montana, but we raise a lot of feeder cattle. They go to Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska to be finished out. They produce a great product for America's dinner tables, the greatest source of protein we have in our diet. They also want to know where it comes from, and that is being denied our producers today.
"I heard from my colleagues who say they should delay COOL until the farm bill. They say the law will not work and we need to rewrite it. I agree with some of that, but there are provisions right now that are in the current labeling law that need to be implemented.
"So I seriously doubt that any of my cattle producers can be convinced at this point that Congress intends to make a good-faith effort to improve the law as it stands today. We have had three years to work on that law, and the only thing Congress has delivered to the hard-working ranchers in my country is one delay after another, and that is unacceptable.
"We have given the meat packers years to volunteer and voluntarily label the meat. Not one packer has done that. We have certified Angus beef, and we have a lot of house brands and house labels and some breeds of cattle promote their production, but nothing says "USA." These delays are not designed to help us improve this important law; they are just a way [to let] the packers get their way.
"In all likelihood, this evening the Senate will debate this issue, and tomorrow we will pass this conference report. I did not sign the report, and I shall vote against it tomorrow even though there are some very good things in here, but enough is enough.
"Given the hysteria of the meat packers, one would think that COOL would destroy the whole industry, and one would think origin labeling is some outlandish, unheard of concept, when it has been around for the last four years. Packers whine about labeling products in the United States, [yet] the packers are engaged in country-of-origin labeling in foreign markets. I do not see what the difference is. It feels to me like you have been discriminated against for your product? And those who do not want labeling, are you not proud of your product? Are you afraid to put your brand on it? Afraid to put a label on it? What is the problem?
"Most of our major trading partners require country-of-origin labeling on imported beef and beef products. I could go all night about the situation in which we find ourselves in regarding to beef trade with Japan. We took a pretty tough stand. I believe that it is time that markets be opened.
"New Zealand passed a COOL law just last week at the very same time that this conference was shirking its duty to the American cattle producers. By the way, New Zealand is not afraid to put a label on their lamb. One can go to any grocery store, and the package says, ``New Zealand lamb.'' They are proud of that product. Yet we do not want to do that. Consumers in the United States do not deserve to know where their beef comes from, but foreign consumers do. That is the message we are sending on this conference report tonight.
"We know that foreign consumers demand U.S. beef. It is pretty plain. I have talked to the consumers in Japan. They are getting ready to serve these beef bowls. It is the most desired product we ship there. Yet by their standards, they have decided to keep our product off of their market. They have nerve enough to come here and expect us to accept theirs when they have a larger problem than we do in that arena. So Congress is telling the producers that they lose out again in this conference report with a delay provision put in at conference with no debate and no vote.
"I will cast a vote against the conference report when it comes up tomorrow. This is a terrible way to do business in the Senate. We can do better in this body. We can respect everyone's opinion and everybody's amendment and everybody's bill, but give them a vote.
"We are going to talk about a judge one of these days, and we are going to say he deserves an up-or-down vote. This issue does, too. There is no difference. And we were denied it.
"So I am disappointed, but yet we move along and there will be another day when again we will saddle up and try to get this legislation implemented, which basically is the law of the land. Make no mistake about it, this hurts our credibility. We better start taking our job very seriously."
