Text: SCR00008 Text: SCR00010 Text: SCR00000 - SCR00099 Text: SCR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. ___ 1 2 COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE 1 3 (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1188) 1 4 A Concurrent Resolution relating to the livestock 1 5 industry, by requesting that the United States 1 6 Congress take actions necessary to stabilize the 1 7 agricultural economy and to request that the 1 8 United States Department of Justice investigate 1 9 unfair practices by meatpackers. 1 10 WHEREAS, agricultural production has traditionally 1 11 been the foundation of this nation's economic 1 12 prosperity, providing the basis for a system of 1 13 production unmatched in the world for its abundant and 1 14 efficient production of food, feed grains, and animal 1 15 products, which contributes billions of dollars in 1 16 revenue each year to the nation's economy from export 1 17 sales; and 1 18 WHEREAS, the production and processing of 1 19 livestock, including swine and cattle, represent key 1 20 components of this nation's prosperity, by providing 1 21 numerous value-added food and other products upon 1 22 which this nation depends; and 1 23 WHEREAS, the state of Iowa is the leading 1 24 livestock-producing state in the nation, with 1 25 production revenue contributing more than 25 percent 1 26 of Iowa family cash farm income; and 1 27 WHEREAS, the livestock industry faces a threat to 1 28 its economic viability, a crisis caused by 1 29 disastrously low prices and a system of marketing that 1 30 increasingly relies on marketing contracts and that 2 1 may be exasperated by inadequate meatpacking capacity 2 2 and suspected unfair practices engaged in by 2 3 meatpackers; and 2 4 WHEREAS, losses of several billions of dollars in 2 5 1998 may force thousands of family farm livestock 2 6 producers out of business and may threaten the 2 7 cherished position of the small independent producer 2 8 in the agricultural economy; and 2 9 WHEREAS, the practice of contract care and feeding 2 10 of swine and cattle is contrary to the traditional 2 11 system of the open market's universal price disclosure 2 12 that most efficiently ensures that price is a product 2 13 of supply and demand; NOW THEREFORE, 2 14 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, THE HOUSE OF 2 15 REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, That the United States 2 16 Congress is requested to approve emergency financial 2 17 assistance payments to family farm swine and cattle 2 18 producers and funding for loan guarantee programs and 2 19 interest rate buydown programs administered by the 2 20 United States Department of Agriculture; and 2 21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the United States 2 22 Congress, the President of the United States, and the 2 23 United States Secretary of Agriculture take all 2 24 necessary actions in order to study the marketing 2 25 practices of meatpackers, including obtaining 2 26 information regarding marketing contracts executed 2 27 between meatpackers and producers, and that the United 2 28 States Department of Agriculture prepare a report 2 29 regarding the information and its findings for 2 30 publication; and 3 1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the United States 3 2 Congress, the President of the United States, and the 3 3 United States Secretary of Agriculture, and the United 3 4 States Department of Justice cooperate in order to 3 5 amend the current federal Packers and Stockyards Act 3 6 to address current market practices by meatpackers and 3 7 pursue antitrust actions as necessary; and 3 8 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this 3 9 Resolution be sent by the Secretary of the Senate to 3 10 the President of the United States; the United States 3 11 Secretary of Agriculture; the Administrator of the 3 12 Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards 3 13 Administration, United States Department of 3 14 Agriculture; the President of the Senate of the United 3 15 States; the United States Attorney General; the 3 16 Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United 3 17 States; the Chairperson of the United States Senate 3 18 Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; the 3 19 Chairperson of the United States House of 3 20 Representatives Committee on Agriculture; and members 3 21 of Iowa's congressional delegation. 3 22 LSB 3119SV 78 3 23 da/cf/24
Text: SCR00008 Text: SCR00010 Text: SCR00000 - SCR00099 Text: SCR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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