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BEEF RESEARCH AND CONSUMER INFORMATION ACT

MONDAY, APRIL 14, 1975

U.S. SENATE,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

AND GENERAL LEGISLATION OF THE
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY,

Washington, D.C.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:05 a.m., in room 324, Russell Senate Office Building. Hon. Patrick J. Leahy presiding. Present: Senators Leahy and Clark.

STATEMENT OF HON. PATRICK J. LEAHY, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF VERMONT

Senator LEAHY. The subcommittee will come to order.

I am Senator Patrick Leahy from Vermont. We also have Senator Clark here.

The purpose of today's hearing is to hear testimony on S. 772, the Beef Research and Consumer Information Act of 1975, introduced by Senator Talmadge and Senator Dole.

As all of us know, the livestock_industry-defined broadly as the segment of agriculture which produces animal protein products-is in difficult financial straits. Most producers are in a serious loss position.

The purpose of this legislation is to provide this industry with a self-help vehicle with which they can improve their own position. The sponsors and many of the cosponsors of the Beef Research and Consumer Information Act are, of necessity, involved in a conference committee meeting on the emergency farm bill at this moment. As you know, that bill has passed both the House and the Senate with some differences, and several people, including Senator Talmadge, are working on the Conference Committee.

Many of them, I am certain, would otherwise have been present to lend their strong support in person. I suspect many of them will submit statements for the record in support of S. 772.

Senator McGovern has asked me to announce his regret that he cannot be here, and to say that he will file his supporting statement for the record.

I would like to insert in the record at this point a copy of the bill, S. 772, a staff explanation of S. 772, and a copy of a letter from the Department of Agriculture declining to support the bill.

[S. 772, the staff explanation of S. 772, and the views of the Department of Agriculture regarding S. 772 follow:]

94TH CONGRESS 18T SESSION

S. 772

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

FEBRUARY 20, 1975

Mr. TALMADGE (for himself, Mr. BARTLETT, Mr. BELLMON, Mr. BENTSEN, Mr. BUCKLEY, Mr. CHILES, Mr. CHURCH, Mr. CURTIS, Mr. DOLE, Mr. EASTLAND, Mr. FANNIN, Mr. FONG, Mr. FORD, Mr. GARN, Mr. HANSEN, Mr. HRUSKA, Mr. HUDDLESTON, Mr. HUMPHREY, Mr. JOHNSTON, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. McCLURE, Mr. MCGEE, Mr. McGovern, Mr. MatHIAS, Mr. Montoya, Mr. NUNN, Mr. PACKWOOD, Mr. PEARSON, Mr. HUGH SCOTT, Mr. STONE, Mr. SYMINGTON, Mr. THURMOND, Mr. Tower, Mr. TUNNEY, and Mr. Young) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry

A BILL

To enable cattle producers to establish, finance, and carry out a coordinated program of research, producer and consumer education, and promotion to improve, maintain, and develop markets for cattle, beef, and beef products.

1

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 That this Act may be cited as the "Beef Research and Con

4 sumer Information Act".

Η

2

1 LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF POLICY 2 SEC. 2. Beef constitutes one of the basic, natural foods 3 in the diet. It is produced by many individual cattle producers 4 throughout the United States. Beef products move in inter5 state and foreign commerce and those which do not move in 6 such channels of commerce directly burden or affect inter7 state commerce of beef products. The maintenance and ex8 pansion of existing markets and the development of new or 9 improved markets and uses are vital to the welfare of cattle 10 producers and those concerned with marketing, using, and 11 processing beef as well as the general economy of the Nation. 12 The production and marketing of beef products by numerous 13 individual cattle producers have prevented the development 14 and carrying out of adequate and coordinated programs of 15 research and promotion necessary for the maintenance of 16 markets and the development of new products of, and markets 17 for, cattle, beef, or beef products. Without an effective and 18 coordinated method for assuring cooperative and collective 19 action in providing for and financing such programs, indi20 vidual cattle producers are unable to provide, obtain, or carry 21 out the research, consumer and producer information, and 22 promotion necessary to maintain and improve markets for any or all beef products.

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24 It has long been recognized that it is in the public

25 interest to provide an adequate, steady supply of high quality

3

1 beef and beef products readily available to the consumers of

2 the Nation. Maintenance of markets and the development of

3

new markets, both domestic and foreign, are essential to the

4 cattle industry if the consumers of beef and beef products are

5 to be assured of an adequate, steady supply of such products 6 at reasonable prices.

7

It is therefore declared to be the policy of the Congress 8 and the purpose of this Act that it is essential and in the 9 public interest, through the exercise of the powers provided 10 herein, to authorize and enable the establishment of an or11 derly procedure for the development and the financing, 12 through an adequate assessment, of an effective and contin13 uous coordinated program of research, consumer and pro14 ducer education, and promotion designed to strengthen the 15 beef industry's position in the marketplace, and maintain and 16 expand domestic and foreign markets and uses for United 17 States beef. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to mean, 18 or provide for, control of production or otherwise limit the 19 right of individual cattle producers to produce cattle or beef.

20

21

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DEFINITIONS

SEC. 3. As used in this Act

(a) The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Agri23 culture or any other officer or employee of the Department

24 of Agriculture to whom there has heretofore been delegated,

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