Kay Bailey Hutchison: “I rise in opposition to implementing the mandatory country-of-origin labeling, also known as COOL. This Legisition would…”

“I rise in opposition to implementing the mandatory country-of-origin labeling, also known as COOL. This Legisition would devastate the U.S. meat industry, cost thousands of American jobs and raise food prices for the customers the law purports to benefit. The USDA recently found the U.S. livestock industry would incur significannt costs and virtually no benefits from mandatory COOL. It concluded there was little evidence that mandatory country-of-origin labeling would lead to an increase in demand for commodities bearing the U.S. label, nor would it result in increased food safety. Rather, it found that COOL would impose up to $4 billion on ag industries in the first year and up to $600 million annually after the program had been in place for a decade. Inevitably, these costs would be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices at the supermarket. A recent Texas A&M University study estimated that changes brought about by mandatory country-of-origin labeling would cost nearly 2,000 jobs in south Texas alone. Mandatory COOL would force many small producers with fewer and than 50 head of cattle out of business entirely. This would be a devastating blow just when our economy is beginning to show signs of recovery. In addition to the impact on consumers and the American meat industry, the imposition of COOL raises serious trade ramifications that could invite retaliation from important trade partners.”