New Legislation Sets Dangerous Precedent

Legislation introduced by Representative Kurt Schrader of Oregon would codify an agreement between the Humane Society of the United States and United Egg Producers establishing federally mandated egg production practices. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Bill Donald says the legislation would set a dangerous precedent for allowing the federal government to dictate on-farm production practices. Donald also says the move disregards decades of work the cattle industry has undertaken to develop science-based, voluntary animal care programs.

Donald believes – this legislation could set a dangerous precedent to allow government bureaucrats in Washington to mandate how farmers and ranchers across the nation raise and care for their animals.

Meanwhile, American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman says the new mandated animal care standards are – based largely on the political goals of an animal rights group that seeks to eventually shut down animal agriculture by government mandate. According to Stallman,- we do not need heavy-handed government mandates based primarily on the extreme political whims of animal rights activists who clearly have no regard for science-based animal husbandry or for the hard-working families that provide all of us with wholesome foods from well-cared-for livestock.