The cattle industry is speaking out against a proposed amendment to the ag appropriations bill that was introduced by Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (R-IN-05).
The amendment states that none of the funds made available by the bill may be used to carry out commodity checkoff programs. The amendment was introduced by Spartz to the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2024, the legislation that funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Franklin County cattle producer Tim Schwab (shown above), who also serves as Policy Division Vice Chair of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), rejects Rep. Spartz’s amendment.
“Rep. Spartz’s amendment targets programs like the Beef Checkoff and is a direct attack on America’s farmers and ranchers,” said Schwab. “The Beef Checkoff conducts critical nutrition and food safety research, strengthens consumer demand for beef, and helps farms and ranches stay in business. I hope Rep. Spartz withdraws her amendment and sides with Indiana agriculture over animal rights activists.”
Brian Schuter (shown above), Executive Vice President of the Indiana Beef Cattle Association (IBCA), says the organization also opposes Spartz’s amendment.
“As a 4th generation cattle producer, I see the critical role that checkoffs play in driving demand and better prices for all commodity producers,” said IBCA Executive Vice President Brian Shuter. “It’s concerning when a representative takes a personal position and chooses not to represent their constituents and attacks a program that a large percentage of our Indiana producers support.”
Ethan Lane, Vice President of Government Affairs with the NCBA, says Spartz’s amendment simply wasn’t necessary.
“The amendment that was offered by Rep. Spartz would seek to prevent any federal funds from being used to implement federal commodity checkoff programs. But the strange thing about that is that no federal funds are used to implement federal commodity checkoff programs. They are funded by contributions to those programs from producers throughout the country that pay in,” he explained. “It really speaks to the fact that Rep. Spartz and her team don’t understand completely the issue that they’re attempting to impact with the amendment.”
Despite the fact that it wouldn’t actually affect the checkoff funds, Lane says the amendment could add to other efforts.
“I think it’s important in this environment where you have these radical animal rights groups and others trying to gut the checkoff system. We have the OFF Act that’s out there, being pushed by the HSUS Humane Society of the US, ASPCA, and Senator Cory Booker, from New Jersey and Mike Lee, Nancy Mace,” he said. “We don’t want to have any sort of wrinkle in that wall of opposition to these outside forces trying to prevent the producers from promoting their own products and conducting research in the space that they operate in.”
In response to our request for comment, the communications manager for Congresswoman Spartz issued this in an email:
“The Congresswoman believes that we need to have transparency in the farm bill for checkoff programs if Congress should provide funding.”
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