[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 6, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E7]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  COUNTRY OF ORIGIN MEAT LABELING ACT

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                           HON. EARL POMEROY

                            of north dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 6, 1999

  Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce my original 
cosponsorship of the Country of Origin Meat Labeling Act of 1999. I am 
looking forward to working in a bipartisan manner with my colleague, 
Representative Chenoweth of Idaho, on this important legislation for 
America's ranchers, farmers, and consumers.
  The Country of Origin Meat Labeling Act of 1999 is designed to 
provide American consumers with the right to know where the meat 
products they are feeding their families are produced. As we all know, 
American consumers can easily determine which country their automobiles 
are from and which country their shoes, shirts, and trousers are from, 
but they have no idea where the meat and meat products they feed their 
families originate.
  Throughout my service in the House of Representatives, I have been a 
strong supporter of country of origin labeling--especially for meat and 
meat products--because of its common-sense nature, its benefits to 
ranchers and consumers, and its cost-free benefit to taxpayers. During 
the 105th Congress, I joined Representative Chenoweth as an original 
cosponsor of H.R. 1371, the Country of Origin Meat Labeling Act of 
1997. I was pleased that the Senate adopted an amendment identical to 
H.R. 1371 by unanimous consent during consideration of the FY 1999 
Agriculture Appropriations bill.
  Unfortunately, the special interests prevailed during the Agriculture 
Appropriations Conference Committee and the meat labeling provision was 
dropped from the report. Instead, Congress directed the United States 
Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct another study to determine 
the empirical impacts of country of origin labeling for consumers, 
packers, and producers. Basically, the study provides the packing 
industry with yet more time to delay this important, consumer-friendly 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, America's livestock industry is in dire straits. 
Livestock prices are near record lows while at the same time packers' 
profits are at near record highs. America's ranchers and farmers have 
invested heavily in genetic research and nutrients to produce the most 
cost-effective and nutritious products in the world. But, 
unfortunately, without country of origin labeling, consumers have no 
idea where the meat products they purchase originate, leaving American 
cattlemen's efforts for naught.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues from both sides of the 
aisle, the National Farmers Union, the National Cattlemens Beef 
Association, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the American Sheep 
Industry Association, and the National Consumers League in the passage 
of this important legislation.

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