Controversial Senate cattle market reform bills may be ‘cooked’ for this year, as the lame-duck Congress takes its last breaths this week and next. Here is the way Senate author of the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, Chuck Grassley, sees last-minute chances for his bill. “(I) think it’d be tough…that’s about all I can say.” The Grassley bill with …
Ethanol Industry Hopeful for E15 Win
The ethanol industry is hopeful of a final win soon on a permanent fix for restricted summertime E15 sales. The House has already acted as part of a package of livestock competition bills to permanently allow summertime E15 sales that received a Biden waiver just for this summer. Now, Renewable Fuels Association chief Geoff Cooper says it’s up to the …
Cattle Market Reform Bill Passes Senate Agriculture Committee
The Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act passed out of the Senate Agriculture Committee. The legislation, sponsored by U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) passed by a voice vote with only two no votes. The bill now moves to the Senate floor. The senators unveiled the updated version of the legislation back in …
Senator Previews Support, Opposition to Cattle Market Reforms
The chief sponsor of cattle market reform legislation, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, recently spoke with farm reporters about his expectations for upcoming hearings on his bill later this month. Grassley says he knows what the top four beef packing company executives think of his Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act. “What they think about it is, everything’s alright, nothing needs to …
Revised Cattle Market Reform Bill is Out
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 …
Livestock Marketing Reformers Face Uphill Battle in Congress
Livestock marketing reforms in Congress face an uphill battle, despite reaching a bipartisan deal to boost price discovery and competition in the highly concentrated beef industry. This week, the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act was introduced. But Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley admits his bipartisan deal to set regional mandatory minimum levels of negotiated versus contract trades still faces industry pushback. That …
Senators Announce Plan to Improve Cattle Market Fairness
Republican Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Deb Fischer of Nebraska joined Democrats Jon Tester of Montana and Ron Wyden of Oregon in announcing the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act. The compromise cattle market bill is an effort to return fairness to the cattle marketplace dominated by four major meatpackers. The legislation will establish regional mandatory minimum thresholds of …