Today, Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03), a member of the House Agriculture Committee and Co-Chair of the Rural Reinvestment Task Force, issued the following statement on the Biden Administration’s new Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain:
"Even as consumers are paying more and more for their meat, cattle producers are making less while large packers dominate with record profits. I've heard it consistently from Iowa cattlemen: we need more competition and transparency in the market.
“President Biden and Secretary Vilsack's announcement today will go a long way in providing more market opportunities and fairness for cattle producers in Iowa and across the country.
“I'm grateful that the President highlighted my legislation, the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, in his announcement today - and I will continue to work with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle and the White House to pass the legislation to help level the playing field for family farmers."
President Joe Biden and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced $1 billion in American Rescue Plan funds for expansion of independent processing capacity, doubling the original $500 million investment announced by Vilsack and Rep. Axne in July at the Rustic Cuts Butcher Shop in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
President Biden’s announcement also highlighted legislation, the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, which is co-authored by Rep. Axne, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, Iowa Representative Randy Feenstra, and a bipartisan bicameral group of federal legislators.
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