- The U.S. House Appropriations Committee, led by Chairman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), has approved its FY 2008 agriculture appropriations bill which provides the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Ag Marketing Service an additional $2 million to implement COOL. The bill establishes a time line that USDA must meet for the implementation of COOL by September 30, 2008.
"This is a huge step towards implementation of COOL," said Danni Beer, USCA COOL Committee Chairman and Region X Director. "The House Appropriations Committee has, in the past, lacked support for COOL. USCA representatives met with Rep. DeLauro’s staff in June to help ensure that funding would not be withheld during this process. We applaud the committee’s direction in helping USDA to ensure that COOL is implemented in a timely, efficient manner that’s least burdensome to the entire beef industry."
The U.S. Senate will undertake debate of its version of farm bill policy when Congress reconvenes in September. Following passage in the Senate, the two bills will likely be sent through the conference process to resolve any differences.
"While we’ve achieved a milestone in the House of Representatives, this is no time for producers to relax," noted Beer. "We must see this process through the Senate, the conference committee and on to the day when we can walk into the grocery store and see where the beef we purchase is from."
"This is a huge step towards implementation of COOL," said Danni Beer, USCA COOL Committee Chairman and Region X Director. "The House Appropriations Committee has, in the past, lacked support for COOL. USCA representatives met with Rep. DeLauro’s staff in June to help ensure that funding would not be withheld during this process. We applaud the committee’s direction in helping USDA to ensure that COOL is implemented in a timely, efficient manner that’s least burdensome to the entire beef industry."
The U.S. Senate will undertake debate of its version of farm bill policy when Congress reconvenes in September. Following passage in the Senate, the two bills will likely be sent through the conference process to resolve any differences.
"While we’ve achieved a milestone in the House of Representatives, this is no time for producers to relax," noted Beer. "We must see this process through the Senate, the conference committee and on to the day when we can walk into the grocery store and see where the beef we purchase is from."