WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Competitive Markets Action and the Organization for Competitive Markets applauded Moms for America (MFA) President Kimberly Fletcher, and Republican Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who responded to testimony before Congress last week given by Joe Biden’s Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, against California’s Proposition 12 enacted in 2018 by voters at the ballot box. Prop 12 was upheld by the Supreme Court of the U.S. last May by a vote of 5 to 4 with Justices Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, and Amy Coney Barrett voting to uphold the measure while Vilsack and the Biden Dept. of Justice submitted briefs to the contrary and sided with the Chinese interests and the Chinese Communist Party that financed the purchase of Smithfield in 2013.
Vilsack’s testimony before the House Agriculture Committee and Chairman Glenn Thompson, R-PA, has created a new wave and groundswell of opposition to the terrible EATS Act, H.R. 4417/S. 2019, introduced by Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-IA, and Sen. Roger Marshall, R-KS, and S. 3382, the so-called Protecting Interstate Commerce for Livestock Producers Act (PICLPA) led by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO, that would put American family farmers second in line behind the likes of the 4-Big-Packer-Monopoly that currently controls the U.S. food supply.
Vilsack, a former Governor of Iowa who has long-been a promotor of industrial agriculture consolidation by companies like the Chinese-owned Smithfield, met backlash from Moms for America in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Leaders Hakeem Jefferies, D-NY, Chuck Schumer, D-NY, and Mitch McConnell, R-KY, on Monday while Miller penned an op-ed published by The Hill on Friday stating his position against EATS and other policy provisions like it.
The EATS Act and other similar policy assaults on states’ rights have seen vast opposition from conservatives at FreedomWorks, farmers and ranchers at the American Grassfed Association, as well as Reps. Lance Gooden, R-TX, Alex Mooney, R-WV, Carol Miller, R-WV, Buddy Carter, R-GA, and a total of 16 House Republicans, that sent a letter to House Agriculture Committee Leaders last Fall. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-FL, is currently leading a letter against EATS with other Members of the House as well.
“If the Farm Bill includes the EATS Act or any language that nullifies state and local agriculture laws that keep American family farmers in business, we will have no choice but to actively oppose the passage and enactment of the legislation and we will engage our grassroots army to help defeat it,” said Kimberly Fletcher, President of Moms for America. “Ensuring that the Chinese and other multinational conglomerates aren’t allowed to further consolidate food production in the U.S. is a critical component of our legislative agenda, and this federal power grab by the swamp must be defeated at all costs.”
Recognizing that EATS, PICLPA, and other legislation like it is designed to nullify California’s Prop 12 that was enacted in 2018 and fully implemented in January, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said: "The bill’s language is dangerously vague and could have the effect of taking authority over agriculture away from Texas — and federalize and centralize that authority in Washington, D.C. I don’t need to tell you why that’s a bad idea. The EATS Act would almost certainly trigger years of litigation, and could cost our hard working farmers and taxpayers alike millions of dollars they will never see again,” in an opinion piece published by The Hill.
“We applaud both Moms for America and Commissioner Miller for pushing back against Swamp Secretary Vilsack, and hope House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders will jettison any language that nullifies Prop 12 from their Farm Bill drafts,” said Marty Irby, President & CEO at Competitive Markets Action and Board Secretary at the Organization for Competitive Markets. “With opposition from front line Republicans, House Freedom Caucus Members, and Democrats - including language to nullify Prop 12 is suicide for a Farm Bill that already seems to be on life support.”
In addition, farmers and ranchers against EATS and the nullification of Prop 12 at the Organization for Competitive Markets and Competitive Markets Action, held a recent fly-in to Washington, D.C. where they conducted nearly 90 in-person meetings against EATS and presented Awards to Sens. Mike Lee, R-UT, Rand Paul, R-KY, Reps. Nancy Mace, R-SC, Thomas Massie, R-KY, Andrew Garbarino, R-NY, Alex Mooney, R-WV, and others. Moms for America is in the process of planning a similar event in our Nation’s Capital in the coming months and ramping up their long-term efforts on Capitol Hill as well.
Founded in 2004, Moms for America is a national, non-profit 501c3 educational corporation rooted on the principles of liberty and virtue our nation was founded on, and focused on promoting these principles, values, and virtues in the home and family, particularly through the women and mothers of America. To learn more about Moms for America, please visit momsforamerica.us. You can follow MFA on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Lincoln, Nebraska. The foundation of the Organization for Competitive Markets is to fight for competitive markets in agriculture for farmers, ranchers and rural communities. True competition reduces the need for economic regulation. Our mission, and our duty, is to define and advocate the proper role of government in the agricultural economy as a regulator and enforcer of rules necessary for markets that are fair, honest, accessible and competitive for all citizens.
Competitive Markets Action (CMA) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit based in Washington, D.C., that was formed with the mission of shaping policy to promote more regenerative and sustainable agriculture, and competitive markets in the U.S., and to defend against attacks on states’ rights by the federal government. CMA works to raise awareness of the harm caused by multinational conglomerates to the American family farmer, the consumer and our U.S. economy as a whole in an effort to bring about legislative and regulatory reforms.
Marty Irby Competitive Markets Action 202-821-5686 marty@competitivemarketsaction.org
