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NCBA applauds ag-related provisions in spending bill

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is applauding agriculture-related provisions included in the omnibus spending bill in Congress.

Colin Woodall, vice president of government affairs for NCBA, says the provision they’re most proud of requires EPA and the Corps of Engineers to rescind the interpretative rule that was part of the Waters of the U.S. proposal.

“Even though it doesn’t kill the program outright, it is going to slow it down,” Woodall says, “and it will allow us to use the new Congress, hopefully, to pass some legislation to permanently stop this effort.”

The other big victory, from NCBA’s standpoint, is language ordering Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to scrap his proposal for a second beef checkoff.

“It’s probably one of the clearest statements in the entire bill. It very simply says that the secretary cannot do any work on establishing a second beef checkoff under the 1996 act,” Woodall says. “So if he reads that like he should, then this process that he’s been on will have to stop immediately.”

Woodall says NCBA is also pleased with provisions related to Country-of-Origin-Labeling, dietary guidelines and the sage grouse.

Woodall is confident the bill will pass both houses of Congress on Thursday.

Woodall made his comments in an interview with Brownfield at the annual meeting of Nebraska Cattlemen in Kearney.

AUDIO: Colin Woodall

Photo: Colin Woodall speaks to cattlemen meeting in Kearney, Nebraska