Thomas Daschle: “There is no one more responsible for the fact that those actions have been extraordinarily beneficial to cattle…”

“There is no one more responsible for the fact that those actions have been extraordinarily beneficial to cattle producers across this country than the President himself. The President and I discussed, as he did with other Senators, the possibility of holding a livestock meeting last weekend. We held that meeting Tuesday afternoon, and as early as Wednesday morning the livestock markets began to respond. They responded Wednesday, they responded Thursday, and now they have responded again today. We have seen about a 12- to 14-percent increase in livestock prices in the futures markets directly as a result of the actions taken by the White House, by this President on Tuesday afternoon. The President is limited, of course, in the actions he can take unilaterally, but he has, in my view, pulled out virtually every stop to ensure that those prices go up. He is going to do all he can within his power and authority, both internationally and domestically. So I applaud him for the actions he has taken.”