Background: On June 17, 2003, the House Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee voted to stop all funding for the implementation of COOL for meat. Subcommittee Chairman Henry Bonilla (R-TX) (pronounced Bow-knee-uh) introduced an amendment which read, "None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act shall be used for the implementation of Country of Origin Labeling for meat or meat products." Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) strongly supported the amendment.

R-CALF USA members made hundreds, perhaps more than a thousand, calls to the members of the House Agricultural Appropriations Committee urging them to defeat the Bonilla amendment. So many calls were received that some of the Congressional offices called R-CALF USA saying they got the message and please call off the calls. Our response was that our membership cannot remain silent while a handful of Congressional Members beholden to the packers and retailers try to run rough-shod over the interests of independent cattle producers.

Status: On June 26, 2003, the House Agricultural Appropriations Committee approved the complete FY 04 House Appropriations Bill containing the Bonilla amendment without a fight. The Bill now goes to the full House. YOUR PHONE CALLS WERE NOT IN VAIN! Your phone calls have caused two new events:

1. The opposition has stepped up its efforts to try to hide their real motivation which is to kill COOL. They are scrambling to convince the public and the media that their actions are only to "assess the implications prior to implementing COOL." Fortunately, the public isn’t so naive as to believe they are doing anything but trying to kill COOL.

2. There will be an amendment offered on the House floor to strike the Bonilla amendment from the FY 04 House Appropriations Bill (we don’t yet know who will sponsor this amendment to strike but we have a couple of Congressional members willing to do so.)

Your phone calls to the Appropriations Committee Members have sent a strong signal that U.S. cattle producers do not appreciate Congress’s attempts to undermine COOL. Your calls have greatly increased our chances of winning on the House floor.

The Fiscal Year 2004 Appropriations Bill will now go to the full House for a vote, perhaps as early as the week of July 7, 2003.

ACTION: We must now deliver our message directly to each Member of Congress. They will be back in their districts from June 30 - July 4. Here’s what you can do:

1. Contact your Member of Congress by calling their local office in your district and tell them that you understand that an amendment will be offered on the House floor to strike the Bonilla amendment from the Appropriations Bill and you want him/her to support the amendment to strike the Bonilla language. Tell him/her that the COOL law must not be delayed and that Congress should demand USDA to implement the law.

2. Say this only if you mean it: "The COOL law is one of the most important issues facing the U.S. cattle industry today. My vote in November will be based on who supports COOL and who does not. A vote to delay COOL means Congress supports the special interests of packers over the interests of independent producers."

3. It would be great if you can meet with your Member of Congress face-to-face while they are home on recess.

4. Let your Member of Congress know that you are counting on him/her to help you restore competition to your markets and COOL will do just that.

Deadline: The earliest the Appropriations Bill will be considered on the House floor is the week of July 7. It is likely it will not be considered until the week of July 14. This means if you miss your chance to talk to your Member of Congress during the July 4 recess, you can contact them in Washington, D.C. after July 7 by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and asking for your Member of Congress by name.

Remember, we’re going to win this battle and we will win if our individual members demonstrate their resolve by contacting their Member of Congress directly.