Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and the four Iowans who serve in the U.S. House are among 53 Republicans in congress who’ve signed onto a letter to President Trump, warning that American farmers and ranchers face “significant headwinds.”
The letter says internvention in the cattle market “threatens to pick winners and losers” and undermines “the long-term viability of family-owned cattle operations.” It does not directly mention Trump’s decision to waive additional tariffs on 660 million pounds of beef imports over the next 90 days, in order to lower ground beef prices for consumers. Congressman Zach Nunn, who’s seeking re-election in Iowa’s third district, said in a post on social media that the group “shares the goal of bringing down prices for American families,” but Nunn said “flooding the market with foreign beef is the wrong answer at the wrong time.”
Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, who is running for the U.S. Senate, briefly mentioned the letter during her weekly conference call with Iowa reporters. “I think our producers raise the highest quality beef in the world and I talked to many of them when I was at the State Fair and they have faced those tough market conditions, as we know,” Hinson said.
During a stop at the Fair just hours after Trump announced his beef import plan, Hinson called it “a bad idea.” The letter she’s signed onto says “long term certainty” for the cattle industry can be delivered “by fostering existing domestic demand and continuing efforts to expand overseas markets for American beef products.”
“I do think we should be focused on market-based solutions,” Hinson told reporters yesterday.
Iowa Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Congressmen Randy Feenstra also signed the letter, which begins by thanking Trump for his “attention to issues impacting American consumers, farmers and ranchers.” It ends by urging Trump to prioritize proposals “which deliver long-term market stability and confidence.” Read the text of the letter below.
The U.S. Justice Department has just announced its anti-trust investigation related to soaring beef prices now includes eight major grocery store chains as well as the nation’s four largest meatpackers. The grocery store chains under review include Walmart, Costco, Aldi and Amazon which sell beef to Iowans, as well as Kroger, Publix, Albertsons and a European company that operates grocery stores in other states.
The following letter was signed by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, Congressman Zach Nunn and Congressman Randy Feenstra and 48 other members of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate:
President Trump,
We appreciate your attention to the issues impacting American consumers, farmers, and ranchers. A strong American agriculture industry leads to greater efficiency, availability, affordability, and security in our food supply chain. American farmers and ranchers face significant headwinds, including years of prolonged drought, devastating natural disasters, animal disease and pest threats, market swings, and burdensome regulations.
As you know, the cattle industry is facing 75-year low inventory yet continues to efficiently raise cattle and produce beef that is unmatched in quality anywhere in the world. This does not happen by accident. American ranchers work diligently to do more with less, weather volatile markets, and provide a safe food supply. Cattle markets are cyclical, and ranchers use the upswings to prepare for the inevitable downturn. Any intervention in the natural system, especially at a time when producers are making marketing decisions, threatens to pick winners and losers and undermine the long-term viability of family-owned cattle operations throughout the supply chain.
Long term certainty can be delivered by fostering existing domestic demand and continuing efforts to expand overseas markets for American beef products, building on the successful trade deals you have already secured. As proven through the deals you struck with the United Kingdom and Australia, there is significant opportunity for advancing market access for American beef around the world. These trade deals, coupled with the significant benefits of the Working Families Tax Cuts, will drive long-term confidence in the market and create a natural incentive for ranchers to rebuild and expand their herds. Additionally, your support for a modernized Farm Bill would strengthen access to capital and expand flexibility within grazing and conservation programs, providing producers with the tools they need to strengthen and expand the cattle herd.
As you consider policy changes which could impact American livestock producers, we urge you to prioritize proposals which deliver long-term market stability and confidence while consulting closely with impacted stakeholders. We are eager to work together to deliver certainty for American cattle producers while continuing to deliver safe, affordable, and high-quality American beef.