Cattle Producers of Washington Hear USCA Update

"Today is a great day. We stand united in our work and success in getting Congress to pass mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL)," Engelhardt told the crowd. "Some said it couldn’t be done and that we were wasting our time, but we pulled together, worked with our congressional delegations and made it happen. We can’t back down from these issues in the face of adversity. We have to work the process and the system and recognize that it takes time to make things happen. It took us nearly ten years to get COOL passed, but it’s a law now. Let’s take that winning game plan and implement it with other issues. We can, and will, keep winning if we maintain our focus and unity," said Engelhardt.

During his Capitol Hill update, Peterson congratulated producers for their hard work on COOL passage. "Now we must go to work promoting our new label," he noted. "USCA is working at all levels to enhance the mandatory beef checkoff program to enable a portion of checkoff funds to promote U.S. beef. Meetings with the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB), with potential contractors for checkoff funds, Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) demonstrate USCA’s commitment to making this happen. While it may take time, USCA will not stop working towards this goal until it becomes reality."

Peterson also updated the crowd on USCA’s work to address the Department of Agriculture’s problematic rule to increase meat imports from Argentina. "It’s unfathomable to cattle producers as to why the Administration would trust a country like Argentina that has defaulted on billions of dollars in loans and constantly fights U.S. farmers and ranchers in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Instead of addressing these issues, the Administration is intent on rewarding Argentina with a categorization that would permit the country to create an imaginary boundary to manage an airborne disease. USDA has yet to remove this proposed rule, and USCA hopes Congress will stand up for cattle producers and introduce legislation to prevent this rule from being implemented."

Engelhardt concluded the evening’s event by encouraging producers to stay engaged and unify with CPoW and USCA to keep winning on the issues. "I am proud of these associations and what is being accomplished. Let’s keep it up," stated Engelhardt.

Established in March 2007, USCA is committed to concentrating its efforts in Washington, DC to enhance and expand the cattle industry’s voice on Capitol Hill. USCA has a full-time presence in Washington, giving cattle producers across the country a strong influence on policy development. For more information go to www.uscattlemen.org.