Senator Kennedy Helps Louisiana Cattle Producers with Livestock Bill Cosponsor
By Andy Brown & Neil Melançon
Louisiana Farm Bureau News
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) has cosponsored S. 4030 the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2022, joining his fellow US senator from Louisiana, Bill Cassidy, and 18 other members of the U.S. Senate.
Originally authored by Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), S.4030 is the work of many years of advocacy by cattle ranchers to find a more fair and transparent market for their livestock.
“We greatly appreciate the support of both our Senators in Louisiana on this bill,” said Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation President Jim Harper. “Our livestock advisory committee and state board have stayed engaged on this issue and with the help of our LFBF staff, we were able to educate our Senators on the impact this legislation could have for Louisiana.”
The Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act would provide Louisiana cattlemen more opportunity for cash trade, would create a public pricing library, and facilitate more accountability of packers.
More about the act can be found at these links: https://www.grassley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/cattle_price_discovery_and_transparency_act_march_2022_-_section-by-section.pdf
Amelia Kent, who serves as chair of the LFBF Livestock Advisory Committee, commended Sen. Kennedy.
“This is how advocacy should work," Kent said. "Senator Kennedy asked for information on this bill, studied how it would impact the cow calf producer, which are the majority of Louisiana cattle producers, and ultimately made a decision to support us through signing on to this bill. It means a lot to us to see that in action and we won’t soon forget it. So, thank you to Senator Kennedy and Senator Cassidy for staying in tune to the needs back home.”
Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation will continue to track this bill through the remainder of the 117th Congress and encourages everyone to stay involved as well.