Members Think USDA Can Fund Price Reporting

November 15, 1999

Nine House and Senate members believe USDA has the authority and the means to implement the livestock price reporting program immediately. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman says he needs another $4.7 million to do it, but the members say he has the authority to find the money within USDA"s discretionary budget.

In a letter to Glickman, the members say USDA never told Congress how much the program would cost. "This administration had input throughout the negotiations on price reporting, and at no time did you provide us with a specific program cost for funding purposes," they told Glickman.

"It is imperative that livestock producers have mandatory price reporting as a tool to make good business decisions," they added. "Please don"t play politics with the livelihood of hard working livestock producers and deny them the opportunity to make a better living in today"s agricultural economy."

Signing the letter were Sens. Conrad Burns (R-MT), Larry Craig (R-ID), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Craig Thomas (R-WY), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Kit Bond (R-MO) and Reps. Rick Hill (R-MT) and Tom Latham (R-IA).