Tester highlights bipartisan 'Product of the USA' beef legislation

Note: This was provided by the office of Sen. Jon Tester 

As a part of his continued effort to level the playing field for Montana’s beef producers, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester met Friday in Great Falls with community leaders and ranchers from Cascade County to discuss the importance of his bipartisan American Beef Labeling Act.

Tester was joined in Great Falls by Montana Farmers Union President Walter Schweitzer and Conrad rancher Lisa Schmidt.

“Montana beef is a cut above the rest, and folks deserve to know if their beef was raised in the United States before they buy it,” Tester said. “Beef raised in the U-S-A faces the strictest standards to ensure the highest quality of meat. My bipartisan legislation will level the playing field for Montana’s family farmers and ranchers and guarantee American families the choice of the highest quality beef by making sure they know where their food is coming from.”

The American Beef Labeling Act is also sponsored by Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D.. Tester has fought to reinstate MCOOL since its 2015 repeal, and in 2020 introduced a bipartisan resolution urging the U.S. to enter into necessary trade negotiations to allow the United States to re-implement it in a manner that is compliant with WTO regulations.

As the only working farmer in the U.S. Senate, Tester has long been an advocate for increased market transparency and more competitive practices for Montana producers. He recently introduced his bipartisan Meatpacking Special Investigator Act which will create a new dedicated office within the Department of Agriculture’s Packers and Stockyards Division, addressing anticompetitive practices in the meat and poultry industries. He also recently introduced his bipartisan Livestock Disaster Relief Act with Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., to ensure that Montana’s ranchers receive necessary relief to recover from future disasters. In response to this year’s extreme weather, he has also secured USDA relief for Montana producers through the authorization of haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program acres, LFP funding, and ELAP funding.

The American Beef Labeling Act will reinstate mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef. The legislation will require the U.S. trade representative, in consultation with the U.S. secretary of agriculture, to develop a World Trade Organization-compliant means of reinstating MCOOL for beef within one year of enactment. If USTR fails, MCOOL will automatically be reinstated.

Tester’s bipartisan legislation also came in the wake of reports of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or “mad cow fisease,” cases in Brazil, a notable exporter of beef to the United States. Ensuring American beef is labeled as a product of the USA will give consumers clarity and peace of mind when buying beef, guaranteeing the highest standards of safety and quality are met.

Cattle groups praised Tester’s legislation when it was introduced.

“During the nearly seven years since MCOOL for beef was repealed, U.S. cattle producers experienced lower cattle prices and were deprived the means to build demand for their U.S.-produced cattle,” said Bill Bullard, chief executive officer of R-CALF USA. “Sens. Thune and Tester’s bill to restore MCOOL for beef will now provide that means, and for that we are extremely grateful.”

“We greatly appreciate the work of Sens. Thune and Tester in continuing to push forward solutions to define what constitutes a U.S. beef product,” said Justin Tupper, vice president of the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association. “From the perspective of the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association, that label should pertain only to beef that was born, raised and harvested in the U.S.A. This legislation provides a pathway for achieving clear, accurate labels so that consumers can continue choosing to put high quality American beef on their plates.”

“On behalf of America’s family farmers and ranchers, we applaud Sens, Thune and Tester for introducing common sense legislation to help consumers know where their food comes from,“ said Rob Larew, president of National Farmers Union. “We have long fought for mandatory Country of Origin labeling for food products, recognizing consumers want this information so they can make educated decisions in grocery store aisles.”