WASHINGTON, D.C., May 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the Organization for Competitive Markets and Competitive Markets Action released the following statement in response to U.S. House Committee on Agriculture Glenn "G.T." Thompson's Farm Bill made public earlier in the day:
"Chairman's Thompson's Farm Bill is exactly what we expected and is a direct reflection of the continued corruption in the swamp that has put countless American family farmers out of business decade after decade. The measure panders to industrial agriculture monopolies like the Chinese-owned Smithfield, the National Pork Producers Council, and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, and would nullify countless state laws across the country that protect the last few remaining independent pork producers in our nation with its slimmed down version of the EATS Act.
"This corrupt Farm Bill also fails to address the long-standing unethical practices that we've seen in the USDA's scandal-ridden Commodity Checkoff Programs that the OFF Act would help prevent, and we will be lobbying with every resource we have to defeat it. We call on Speaker Mike Johnson to let this bill die in Committee and on our champions on the House Freedom Caucus to do everything in their power to defeat it should it brought to a vote before the full U.S. House of Representatives. Our producers would be better off with no new Farm Bill than the swamp thing that was released today."
OCM and leaders at CMA have worked for most of the past decade to see the enactment of the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act, H.R. 1249/S. 557, led by Reps. Nancy Mace, R-SC, and Rep. Dina Titus, D-NV, and Sens. Mike Lee, R-UT, Rand Paul, R-KY, Cory Booker, D-NJ, and Elizabeth Warren, D-MA. The measure would reform the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s scandal-ridden checkoff programs that have been plagued by unethical and illegal activities for decades. OFF is backed by more than 200,000 farmers and ranchers across the country and groups like the American Grassfed Association, Contract Poultry Growers Association of the Virginias, National Taxpayers Union, and the Heritage Foundation, as well as Reps. Thomas Massie, R-KY, Alex Mooney, R-WV, Victoria Spartz, R-IN, and Mike Lawler, R-NY.
The groups have also lobbied against the so-called Ending Agriculture Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, H.R. 4417/ S. 2019, led by Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-IA, and Sen. Roger Marshall, R-KS, that is designed to nullify state ballot measures across the country enacted by a direct vote of the people. Industrial agribusiness interests failed to secure the enactment of similar legislation led by former Rep. Steve King, R-IA, in the 2018 Farm Bill thanks to the work of OCM leaders and former House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, R-TX, who is currently working with the Competitive Markets Groups on the issue in 2024.
Two Republican-led House letters against EATS previously sent to Thompson authored by Reps. Andrew Garbarino, R-NY, and Anna Paulina Luna, R-FL were completely ignored. Those letters were also cosigned by House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R-Va., as well as Reps. Byron Donalds, R-FL, Matt Gaetz, R-FL, Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-GA, Nancy Mace, R-SC, Andy Biggs, R-AZ, Matt Rosendale, R-MT, Jeff Van Drew, R-NJ, Tim Burchett, R-TN, David Valadao, R-CA, Mike Waltz, R-FL, Alex Mooney, R-WV, Carol Miller, R-WV, Earl “Buddy” Carter, R-GA, Lance Gooden, R-TX, Mike Lawler, R-NY, Brian Fitzpatrick, R-PA, Young Kim, R-CA, Mike Garcia, R-CA, Tom Kean, R-NJ, Jeff Van Drew, R-NJ, Chris Smith, R-NJ, and Vern Buchanan, R-FL.
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.
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Marty Irby Competitive Markets Action 202-821-5686 marty@competitivemarketsaction.org
