[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 19 (Wednesday, February 3, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E132-E133]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                FAIRNESS FOR OUR NATION'S DAIRY FARMERS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TAMMY BALDWIN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 3, 1999

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I introduced H.R. 444, the 
``Dairy Promotion Fairness Act,'' a bill that would create a little 
more fairness for our Nation's dairy farmers.
  We have all enjoyed the recent ``Got Milk?'' promotions sponsored by 
the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board. Those commercials 
remind the public that milk is both good for you, and, frankly, good to 
have around when you're eating chocolate chip cookies.
  All American dairy farmers pay into the Dairy Promotion Program. But 
there are a group of people who gain from the program, but don't pay 
for it. Importers of Foreign dairy products. Whether it's cheese from 
France, or non-fat powdered milk from New Zealand, importers receive 
free advertisements of their products, paid for by our dairy producers. 
That just isn't fair to our farmers.
  Importers of dairy products are the only commodity importers that 
don't pay into a promotion program. Importers of pork, beef, and cotton 
are all required to support their respective promotion programs. The 
Dairy Promotion program should not be treated differently, and our 
domestic dairy products should not have to subsidize the promotion of 
foreign dairy products. I urge all members who believe our farmers 
deserve fairness to support this bill.

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