6 Nebraska Cattleman November 2023 The Nebraska Cattleman magazine is published for and by the Nebraska Cattlemen association. PRODUCTION BluePrint Media LLC (970) 498-9306 PO Box 427 | Timnath, CO 80547 Editor | Lisa Bard Managing Editor | Jessie Topp-Becker Copy Editor | Larisa Willrett Designer | Megan Sajbel Field Materials Coordinator | Megan Sajbel Field Administration | Leslie McKibben CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Bill Coe | Kristian Rennert Meghan Anderson | Bob Rooney STATE | REGIONAL ADVERTISING Amber Coleman Mobile (402) 340-1588 acoleman@necattlemen.org NATIONAL ADVERTISING The Powell Group | Wendy McFarland (334) 271-6100 4162-B Carmichael Ct. Montgomery, AL 36106 LINCOLN 4611 Cattle Drive | Lincoln, NE 68521 (402) 475-2333 | NCmag@necattlemen.org LAKESIDE 1179 296th Trail | Lakeside, NE 69351 (308) 760-6464 Nebraska Cattleman is published monthly, except for May and July, by the Nebraska Cattlemen, 4611 Cattle Drive, Lincoln, NE 68521 – (402) 475-2333. Manuscripts and advertisements are welcome. Nebraska Cattlemen reserves the right to edit and refuse advertisements. Readers are welcome to submit letters to the editor. Full name and address of writer must accompany all letters. Letters are accepted with the understanding that they may be condensed to fit the magazine format and edited for accuracy and clarity. Letters contain the opinion of the writer and not that of the Nebraska Cattlemen. Nebraska Cattleman You can get Nebraska Cattleman via email. Receive each issue even before the Post Office ships the printed edition. Just send an email to us at NCmag@necattlemen.org and put “Email NC Magazine” in the subject line. We assure you we will not share your email address with anyone! Please visit our website www.nebraskacattlemen.org EVP Perspective By Laura Field NC Executive Vice President Eye on Federal Issues From changing colors and cooler temperatures to the long-awaited football season, fall is my favorite time of year! Fall is also a time of much activity for Nebraska Cattlemen (NC). Members are busy with fall cattle work and harvest, and we are preparing for affiliate meetings and the NC Annual Convention. Aside from meeting preparation, our office has been glued to CSPAN while monitoring a historic and monumental time in our nation’s capital. On Oct. 3, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 216-210 to remove Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as Speaker of the House, marking the first time in history a Speaker was removed by their colleagues. Leading up to this vote, representatives spent days arguing over amendments for an appropriations package to keep the government funded and avert a government shutdown. With many predictions and plans being put into place for a potential shutdown, in a surprising move on Oct. 1, both the House and Senate passed continuing resolutions (CR) to fund the government thorough Nov. 17. A CR is a temporary spending bill that allows the federal government to continue operating without the approval of an appropriations bill. Nebraska Cattlemen actively engaged with our federal delegation on two particular amendments as the House debated the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Appropriations Act of 2024. Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) introduced an amendment to the appropriations package intended to prevent funds in the bill from being used to fund commodity research and promotion boards, better known as checkoff programs. While each commodity checkoff is unique, these programs are entirely funded by the producers who pay the assessments. Contrary to statements made by Rep. Spartz, there are no taxpayer dollars used to implement checkoffs, and no appropriated dollars are used to oversee these programs. The amendment by Rep. Spartz was misleading and unnecessary. NC and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) have long-standing policy supporting the Beef Checkoff, as it has raised beef demand both domestically and internationally. NC signed onto a letter with more than 120 agriculture and forestry groups, urging opposition to the amendment that was eventually defeated 49-377. The second amendment NC opposed was introduced by Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) to prevent funds from being used to mandate electronic ear tags for cattle and bison. NC policy supports the use of electronic ear tags, and the language in this amendment aimed to cut $10 million in funding for U.S. Department Agriculture (USDA) to offset the cost to producers to purchase ear tags. The use of ear tags is key for animal disease traceability, and the amendment was defeated 97-336. Policy engagement is one of NC’s primary roles, and we remain steadfast in working for cattle producers in Nebraska. As this process unfolded, staff and members were engaged with NCBA and our members of Congress to share NC positions. The power of our united voices was imperative in defeating these potentially harmful amendments. With uncertainty still looming in Congress around the passage of a Farm Bill and the potential of a government shutdown still CONTINUED ON PAGE 55
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