[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 57 (Thursday, March 26, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S1667]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING THE MONTANA CATTLE RANCHER

 Mr. SHEEHY. Mr. President, without question, one of America's 
greatest superpowers is our ability to grow and raise the food to feed 
our Nation and the world. This hasn't happened by chance, but is the 
direct result of the hard-working men and women in our agricultural 
industry. Today, we honor one facet of America's agricultural 
juggernaut, the Montana cattle rancher.
  For generations, Montana cattle ranchers have risen before dawn, 
worked through bitter cold and blazing heat, and committed themselves 
to a life that demands strength, patience, and humility. They have 
learned to live with the land, not against it, preserving the open 
spaces that define this State, while raising the cattle that reaches 
tables around the world.
  Many challenges have tried the cattle rancher, from the devastating 
winter of 1886, to collapsing cattle prices during the Great 
Depression, to the farm crisis of the 1980s, and periods of drought, 
harsh winters, disease, market shock, and wildfire. Still, 
multigenerational cattle ranching families remain in Montana as a 
testament to industry's strength and the grit of those within it.
  For today's ranching families, lowering input costs and fighting 
consolidation in the industry are key priorities. For too long, 
foreign-owned meat packers have controlled our food supply. We must 
break that monopoly, offer American alternatives to increase our 
national food security, and advocate for a path forward that ensures 
American ranchers and cattle are placed at the center of our livestock 
policy framework.
  Empowering hardworking ranchers who feed America and ensuring 
affordable beef prices for American families at the grocery store are 
not mutually exclusive. Both can be accomplished by lowering input 
costs and providing a reliable, pro-growth environment for producers so 
ranchers can grow their operation, capture more of the value they 
create, and feed the Nation with affordable, healthy, high-quality 
beef.
  Food security is national security. We all talk about AI, data 
centers, and processing chips; let's talk about feeding our Nation. I 
am grateful to Montana's cattle ranching families for doing just 
that.

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