MRJ, here is the published NCBA Capital Concerns. Where does the NCBA have anything to say on the obvious mismanagement of the GIPSA office that the OIG report laid out about producer concerns?
NCBA might be doing a lot of "good" things, but if they aren't really pushing for the producer in D.C. with their Capital Concerns, aren't they missing the boat? The bishops in the Catholic Church who sat by and said nothing when they saw priest wrongdoing did as much wrong as the wrong doers.
NCBA might be doing a lot of "good" things, but if they aren't really pushing for the producer in D.C. with their Capital Concerns, aren't they missing the boat? The bishops in the Catholic Church who sat by and said nothing when they saw priest wrongdoing did as much wrong as the wrong doers.
Cattlemen's Capitol Concerns
Source: National Cattlemen's Beef Association
March 16, 2006
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).
BSE Confirmed in Alabama Cow: USDA APHIS Chief Veterinary Medical Officer John Clifford announced March 13 further testing on an Alabama cow confirmed it was positive for BSE according to the Western blot test conducted at the USDA laboratories in Ames, Iowa. The animal initially yielded an inconclusive test result for BSE on March 11 as part of USDA's Enhanced BSE Surveillance Program. Additional follow-up testing using the immunohistochemistry (IHC) also yielded positive results March 15.
The cow, initially reported to be a Santa Gertrudis, is now believed to be a red crossbred, and according to initial dental examinations, was approximately 10 years old. This would indicate that this animal was born prior to the feed ban. Clifford said the animal was buried on the farm and did not enter the human food or animal feed supply.
BSE Surveillance: USDA's Enhanced BSE Surveillance Program continues having already tested over half million high-risk animals for BSE since June 1, 2004. As of today, the program has tested 652,697 targeted animals at highest risk for BSE and has found only two confirmed cases, evidence that our safeguards are working and the prevalence of this disease in the U.S. 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.
NCBA Testifies at USTR Hearing on Korea: NCBA's Vice President of Government Affairs Jay Truitt testified March 14 before the Trade Policy Staff Committee of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on the U.S.-Korean Free Trade Agreement (FTA). At the hearing, Truitt voiced NCBA's support for launch of the FTA while outlining priority issues that must be addressed including:
- Re-opening of the South Korean market to U.S. beef including bone-in beef products and variety meats (On January 13 negotiators reached an initial import protocol stating South Korea will accept U.S. boneless beef from cattle less than 30 months of age; Exports are expected to begin moving in April, but until then, the ban remains in place. In addition, Korea's ban on U.S. bone-in beef and variety meats – which historically accounted for roughly half of the total value of U.S. beef exports to South Korea – remains in place.).
- Elimination of Korea's tariffs on U.S. beef
- Resolution of important sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and plant equivalency issues
"Not since the Japan-U.S. Beef-Citrus Agreement of 1988 have U.S. cattle producers had such an opportunity to expand demand for our products as we could have with a successfully negotiated U.S.-South Korea FTA," said Truitt. Historically, South Korea represents the third largest market for U.S. beef and beef variety meat exports and holds tremendous growth potential for U.S. cattle producers.
PRODUCERS' VOICES ARE BEING HEARD ON CAPITOL HILL! NCBA is calling on cattle producer-members to contact their members of Congress on a variety of breaking issues on Capitol Hill. With the Spring congressional session in full swing, Congress needs to hear from its constituencies on how these issues affect cattlemen. Among the issues at the forefront:
- Superfund: H.R. 4341 is gaining momentum in the House of Representatives as cattlemen continue to urge support for legislation that will clarify that manure is not considered a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (Superfund regulations). This bill now has 79 co-sponsors with 5 new cosponsors signed on this week! They are: Reps. Cramer (D-Ala.), Doolittle (R-Cal.), Foxx (R-N.C.), Kuhl (R-N.Y.), and Platts (R-Penn.) Visit http://capwiz.com/beefusa to see a full list of cosponsors. If your Representative is not yet listed, send a message to them asking them to sign on!
- ESA: NCBA and the Public Lands Council continue to communicate to the Senate Environmental and Public Works (EPW) Committee the need for Endangered Species Act (ESA) reform legislation in the Senate. Producers can visit http://capwiz.com/beefusa/ to send a message directly to Senators, urging them to support ESA reform efforts led by the EPW Committee; and producers can visit http://hill.beef.org/ESA/ to share personal stories about how work on their land and operations has been impacted by excessive ESA regulations.
- Death Tax Update: NCBA expects the Senate to reconsider legislation to permanently repeal the Death Tax this Spring. Now is the time for cattlemen to get back in touch with your Senators and remind them of the need to repeal this devastating tax. Producers can contact Senators in Washington via the U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121, or send letters to Senators by clicking on http://capwiz.com/beefusa. Detailed information and analysis on the issue is available as well. Also, producers are asked to submit their story to NCBA at http://hill.beef.org/ESA.
Gray Wolf Update: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced today, March 16, a proposal to remove the gray wolf in the Western Great Lakes region from the Federal list of threatened and endangered species. FWS says it proposes to designate gray wolves in this region as a "distinct population segment" under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
This proposal will affect wolf populations in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and in parts of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, North and South Dakota, and Ohio. A notice is expected to appear in the Federal Register as early as next week and will be subject to a 90-day comment period. In addition, FWS is expected to announce a series of public hearings in the Midwest to hear from local citizens, officials and stakeholders on this issue. They are tentatively scheduled for:
- Duluth, Minn. on May 8, 2006
- Wausau, Wisc. on May 10, 2006
- Marquette, Mich. on May 15, 2006
- Grayling, Mich. on May 17, 2006
Visit www.fws.gov for more information.
In January, the Department of Interior transferred management of gray wolf populations in Idaho to the state, and in October 2005, the Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) announced a proposal to remove the Rocky Mountain population of the gray wolf from the Federal list of threatened and endangered species. Today's announcement is another huge step forward in wolf management for ranchers in this area of the country where wolf populations continue to threaten livestock.
Ag Week Kickoff Luncheon: National Ag Day and Ag Week kicked off today, March 16, at the annual Ag Day luncheon featuring key note speaker Senate Ag Committee Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) Sponsored by the Agriculture Council of America, National Ag Day and Ag Week events promote and celebrate the abundance of American agriculture and the role agriculture plays as the backbone of the nation's economy. NCBA is proud to be an Ag Day Champion sponsor! Visit http://www.agday.org for more event info!
Producers Can Help Aid Wildfire Victims: Ranching families in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas continue to fight the effects of devastating wildfires. Area producers are dealing with dead and displaced cattle, destroyed fences and buildings and the loss of their land and livelihood. Local groups estimate that more than a million acres have burned and thousands of cattle and other livestock have died or been injured. The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) says ranchers in the Texas Panhandle area have lost an estimated 10,000 head of cattle.
Announced today, the Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA), the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) and the Livestock Marketing Association of Texas (LMA) have created the Cattlemen's Disaster Relief Fund. The fund, established at the Amarillo Area Foundation, will assist cattlemen affected by wildfires in the Texas Panhandle, as well as similar disasters in other areas of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
In addition, staging areas for donated hay and feed have been set up at several locations in the affected areas. To make a donation, send a tax-deductible check to "Cattlemen's Disaster Relief Fund" to 5501 I-40 West, Amarillo, TX 79106. For information on hay donations, contact Burt Rutherford at TCFA at (806) 358-3681.
Treasury Symposium Looks at Tax Relief: NCBA participated in a Tax Relief Symposium hosted by the Department of Treasury on March 14. The symposium titled "Investing in America's Future -- Preserving the Lower Tax Rates on Dividends and Capital Gains" featured several speakers, including Treasury Secretary John Snow, CEA Chairman Ed Lazear, and former CEA Chairman Martin Feldstein.
Farm Foundation Farm Bill Forum: NCBA participated in a Farm Bill Forum hosted by Farm Foundation March 14. This month's forum focused on immigration and agricultural labor. As discussions in Washington turn to development of the 2007 Farm Bill, Farm Foundation is organizing a series of forums to engage stakeholders in dialogue on food and agricultural policies. For more information, visit www.farmfoundation.org.
von Eschenbach Nominated for HHS Post: President George W. Bush announced March 15 the nomination of Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD, of Texas, to be Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration at the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. von Eschenbach currently serves as Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and Director of the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.
Gale Norton Resigns DOI post: Department of Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced March 10 that she intends to resign her post effective March 31. In a statement, NCBA and PLC said "America's ranchers and cattle producers gratefully acknowledge the service of Secretary Norton as a valuable member of the President's Cabinet and leader of the Department of Interior. Secretary Norton has been an honest friend to the livestock industry. She has focused on preserving the American landscape in balance with the interests of those on the land. Throughout her five-year tenure, Secretary Norton has been a dependable and sincere leader. She has brought all parties to the negotiating table, and given fair hearing to all interests. The Department of Interior is charged with a heavy responsibility to manage all land users. We, as an industry, appreciate having been treated as friends by Secretary Norton, regardless of the outcome of each management decision made by her administration. It is a rare and remarkable leader who can guide land management in such a balanced manner. We wish her all the best in her new endeavors and look forward to working with her successor."
Cattlemen Prepare for Spring Conference: NCBA is busy with plans and preparations for our Spring Conference, March 27-31. Each year, hundreds of cattle producers from across the country visit our nation's capital for this major cattle industry conference on policy issues. Attendees will hear directly from top policymakers, meet face-to-face with key Congressional offices, government agency influencers and have the opportunity to articulate policy priorities for today's cattle industry.
Confirmed speakers include:
- U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns
- U.S. Trade Representative Robert Portman
- USDA Chief Economist Keith Collins
- Kathleen Clarke, Director of Bureau of Land Management
- Dale Bosworth, Chief, U.S. Forest Service
- David Anderson, Program Associate Director, Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
- Bill Clay, Deputy Administrator, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Service
- Erica Tergeson and Doug Crandall, House Resources Committee staff
For you Cherry Blossom fans, the National Park Service predicts the blossoms will peak the week of March 27 - April 1 around the Tidal Basin. On our conference program, we've left Friday free for touring and blossom watching! More information is posted at: http://beefusa.org/convspringlegislativeconference.aspx.
beefusa.org
