Competitive Markets Groups Applaud Passage of CR and Extension of Farm Bill into Fall of 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, Competitive Markets Action (CMA) and the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) released the following statement on the U.S. Senate's passage of H.R. 6363, the Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024, and extension of the Farm Bill into next Fall that the U.S. House passed yesterday. The legislation will now head to the President's desk to be signed into law.
“We applaud the Congress for swiftly ushering H.R.6363 to passage and securing an extension of the Farm Bill, and call on President Biden to quickly ink the measure into law. We remain grateful to the leadership in both chambers and believe this extension allows ample time and opportunity to produce a Farm Bill that helps all farmers, not just industrial agriculture interests and multinational conglomerates like Smithfield. Extending the Farm Bill maintains the status quo, and the status quo offers American farmers and ranchers more time to defeat the terrible Hinson-Marshall EATS Act that would put many of them out of business and hand our country's agriculture interests over to the Chinese.” —Marty Irby, President at Competitive Markets Action and a Board Director at the Organization for Competitive Markets
Farming and ranching operations across the nation have been sounding the alarm over the EATS Act, H.R. 4417/S. 2019 led by Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-IA, and Sen. Roger Marshall, R-KS, since its introduction this past June. Groups and associations, including the Organization for Competitive Markets, Competitive Markets Action, the National Dairy Producers Organization, Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association, and American Grassfed Association have been especially outspoken, including two lobbying summits in Washington D.C. to help defeat the measure. The groups are also working to secure reforms to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s scandal-ridden commodity checkoff programs with the inclusion of the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act, H.R. 1249/S. 557 in the Farm Bill, led by Sens. Mike Lee, R-UT, Rand Paul, R-KY, Cory Booker, D-NJ, and Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, in the Senate, and Reps. Nancy Mace, R-SC, and Dina Titus, D-NV, in the House.
Marty Irby, President at Competitive Markets Action and a Board Director at the Organization for Competitive Markets, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MI), and Deborah Mills, Chairwoman of the National Dairy Producers Organization, during September 2023 Washington D.C. lobby summit.
Competitive Markets Action (CMA) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit based in Washington, D.C., that was formed with the mission of shaping policy to promote more regenerative and sustainable agriculture, and competitive markets in the U.S., and to defend against attacks on states’ rights by the federal government. CMA works to raise awareness of the harm caused by multinational conglomerates to the American family farmer, the consumer and our U.S. economy as a whole in an effort to bring about legislative and regulatory reforms.
The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Lincoln, Nebraska. The foundation of OCM is to fight for competitive markets in agriculture for farmers, ranchers and rural communities. True competition reduces the need for economic regulation. Our mission, and our duty, is to define and advocate the proper role of government in the agricultural economy as a regulator and enforcer of rules necessary for markets that are fair, honest, accessible and competitive for all citizens.