Revised cattle market reform legislation is out and awaiting a Senate hearing, but one of its authors concedes White House backing is still uncertain. Chief sponsor of the bipartisan Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, Iowa U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, says both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue have been involved with his bill.
“We’ve worked for months with Secretary Vilsack and the USDA staff and also with the Senate Ag Committee to make technical changes, so that USDA can effectively implement the legislation. We heard from stakeholders who wanted to make sure that all ‘big four’ packing plants would be covered.”
But has that won over the White House and President Biden, who also blames meatpacking industry concentration for high prices?
“They have not endorsed our legislation. But I think, with Secretary Vilsack working so closely with us, and a Democrat chairman of the Agriculture Committee working with us, that there’s no doubt that we’ve got something that the president would sign. Now the president’s never said that, and I can’t put words in his mouth, but I believe we’re on the right track.”
Grassley argues there’s never been this much “momentum” for broader price reporting and regional negotiated pricing at the grassroots and in Congress, despite opposition from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the American Farm Bureau.
“They simply want us to study and study and study, you know, ‘kick the can down the road.’ We have waited long enough. Cattle producers going broke, while the ‘big four packers’ record the highest profits ever. I’m confident, we have the votes in the Senate Ag Committee to get this done.”
Grassley doesn’t have a hearing date yet but says he and cosponsor Deb Fisher are asking Chair Debbie Stabenow to schedule one, probably likely after the Easter/Passover break.
(From the National Association of Farm Broadcasters)