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NOW ON TO THE CHECK OFF

HAY MAKER

Well-known member
Independent U.S. Cattle Producers win Victory in Congress
R-CALF USA

(Billings, Mont.) – U.S. cattle producers, led by R-CALF USA, celebrated a sweet but hard-earned victory early Saturday morning after learning Congress would not attach an amendment to the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2005 to kill the Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling (M-COOL) law established in the 2002 Farm Bill.

“Our members – independent cattle producers from across the U.S. – worked overtime this week to contact their congressional members and make it crystal clear they wanted Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling to remain in place,” said Bill Bullard, R-CALF USA CEO. “This is a significant victory, and we can’t thank our members enough for pulling together to get a job like this done.


“Packers and others in the beef industry who’ve been working so hard to implement Voluntary COOL grossly underestimated congressional members’ support and determination to see this success through to the end,” Bullard continued. “Our members got the job done, and this victory shows how effective independent cattle producers can be with Congress when they work together.”


“This win was a real team effort from R-CALF cattle producers coast-to-coast, and consumers and producers will be the benefactors,” said Danni Beer, a South Dakota rancher and chair of the R-CALF USA COOL Committee. “It is important that producers stay involved and follow through until the implementation of M-COOL.”


Joel Gill, who represents Mississippi Livestock Markets Association and co-owner of Mississippi Order Buyers in Pickens, Miss., said he worked with the state chair of the Republican Party and other influential GOP leaders to carry the “Keep COOL” message straight to Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss.


“R-CALF members continue to believe that consumers have the right to know where their food comes from,” Gill said. “It’s the responsible thing to do, and truth-in-labeling is, after all, the American way.”


Lee Engelhardt, a cattle producer from Moses Lake, Wash., said this triumph is extremely good news.


“It’s good for U.S. consumers and it’s good for independent cattle producers,” Engelhardt said. “And it also should prove to every U.S. consumer that the well-financed minority who fought Mandatory COOL has a total disregard for consumers’ wishes.”


Jackie Holmgren, executive committee member of the Nevada Live Stock Association, said as an R-CALF USA Affiliate, her organization made keeping COOL its No. 1 priority with its legislators.


“We were on the front lines with our legislators on COOL, as nothing else was so important, so pressing, or so global,” Holmgren said. “Because of these efforts, our legislators didn't fail us or waiver – the reasoning was too sound, too common sense, too R-CALF USA!"


R-CALF USA Director of Governmental Relations Jess Peterson praised the organization’s membership for the thousands of phone calls made to their congressional members to preserve Mandatory COOL, but he also praised those same congressional members who worked to keep M-COOL during the long hours of debate surrounding the Omnibus Appropriations Bill.


“This was a great day for the U.S. cattle industry because Senators and Representatives heard from their constituents and they fought for COOL,” Peterson said.


Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., a key member on the Appropriations Committee, was a strong voice in keeping the Voluntary COOL amendment from being attached to the Omnibus Appropriations Bill. Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., and Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., also were vocal Appropriations Committee members who helped keep Mandatory COOL alive. Additionally, Johnson was the primary author of the COOL language signed into law by President Bush in the 2002 Farm Bill.


Burns introduced a bill, co-sponsored by Johnson, Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Dorgan and Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., that would have accelerated the implementation date of M-COOL, and which also would have added processed foods to the legislation. The Senate did not take action on this bill prior to adjourning. R-CALF USA hopes that Burns and Johnson will reintroduce a bill that implements M-COOL in a timely manner as Congress’ new legislative session gets underway in January.

Numerous other U.S. Senate offices played an important role in continuing the fight for Mandatory COOL, including, but not limited to those of: Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va.; Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M.; Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.; Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa; Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa; Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.; Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.; and, Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D.


On the U.S. House of Representatives’ side, these offices helped continue the strong efforts to implement Mandatory COOL: Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn.; Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont.; Rep. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.; Rep. Tom Osborne, R-Neb.; Rep. Mary Bono, R-Calif.; Rep. Darlene Hooley, D-Ore.; Rep. Stephanie Herseth, D-S.D.; Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D.; and, Rep. Barbara Cubin, R-Wyo.


Unfortunately we are not able to list all of the congressional members who kept COOL, but rest assured R-CALF USA, U.S. cattle producers, and U.S. consumers know who they are and appreciate their strong support.


R-CALF USA will continue to work with it membership and Congress to ensure that Mandatory COOL is preserved, and we will not rest until the red, white and blue stamp of USA beef is proudly labeled on all domestically produced product.
 
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