Joel Hefley: “I come from cattle country out in Colorado. I can tell you that one of the things that has gotten our cattle producers…”

“I come from cattle country out in Colorado. I can tell you that one of the things that has gotten our cattle producers worked up more than anything in recent times is this animal identification program. They are very, very worried about it. The feeling is that it is going to take the small producer and put them absolutely out of business. The initial estimates for a national ID program range from $122 million to $550 million, and who will be responsible for that? USDA? The producer? The packer? Again, we don't know, because we have not defined the range and scope of the program. The Australian Beef Association condemns their mandatory ID program because it is the farmers and the ranchers that have been forced to shoulder the burden. We can understand the need to deal with the Mad Cow problem, but at the same time, the idea that the possibility that every animal you have on your farm, including your chickens and your horses, all of the animals, would have to be identified by some kind of an electronic means is something that just doesn't make any sense at all. We have spent about $86 million on it already. I think that we ought to go back to the committee and reconsider this. At this time, I would hope that we would not put any money into it whatsoever. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the amendment that prohibits funds from being directed to an National Animal Identification program, which amounts to a total about $33 million this year.…”