U.S. Cattlemen Pleased With Farm Bill Passage

Washington, DC (May 16, 2008) - The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) today applauded the U.S. House and Senate for moving quickly to pass the 2007 Farm Bill.

The legislation was approved by the House of Representatives on Wednesday, May 14 in a 381:106 vote, more than the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto.

On Thursday, May 15, the U.S. Senate voted 81:15 to adopt the farm bill conference report, providing another veto-proof margin.

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee hailed the passage as a "banner day for America."

USCA President Jon Wooster, San Lucas, CA praised Congress for the quick, decisive action. "U.S. Cattlemen appreciate the due diligence given this important legislation. While it is not a perfect piece of legislation, it certainly contains provisions that will positively affect cattle producers throughout the country. Hopefully, we can look forward to the full implementation of mandatory country of origin labeling. The wide margin of support in both chambers demonstrates a spirit of bipartisanship that agriculture producers deserve and appreciate. We thank the congressional delegations that worked so hard on this legislation and urge President Bush to sign the farm bill into law."

Established in March 2007, USCA is committed to assembling a team to concentrate efforts in Washington D.C. to enhance and expand the cattle industry's voice on Capitol Hill. For membership forms and other information visit www.uscattlemen.org.