Senate Completes Farm Bill
Soon after yesterday's disappointing Senate vote to reject the Tester-Grassley Amendment that would have closed the loophole created in the Pickett vs. Tyson lawsuit, the Senate decided to bring its Farm Bill to a close. And it did.
As a result, the amendment to also close the competitive injury loophole was never offered, nor was the Captive Supply Reform Act.
Nonetheless, and thanks to all of you who have been engaged in this process for nearly the entire year, YOU WON A LOT!
Here's what we accomplished in the Senate Farm Bill:
· Affirmation of and improvements to mandatory country of origin labeling
· Ban on packer ownership of livestock
· Establishment of a Special Counsel for Agricultural Competition to ensure proper enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act
· Directive fro USDA to define "undue preferences and advantage" within the Packers and Stockyards Act.
· Authorization for interstate shipment of state inspected beef
· Authorization of voluntary arbitration for contract growers
The next step in the process is to retain everything we've won through the Farm Bill conference committee that must now merge the House and Senate versions into a single Farm Bill.