Farmers and Ranchers Fight Against Rep. Ashley Hinson’s EATS Act with Iowa Radio Ad Campaign
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) and Competitive Markets Action (CMA) announced the continuation of an ad campaign first established by OCM earlier this month condemning the so-called Ending Agriculture Trade Suppression (EATS) Act led by Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-IA in the House and Sen. Roger Marshall, R-KS in the Senate. OCM launched a campaign that began in Politico against the EATS Act, a bill that would have a devastating impact on America’s farming and ranching families. This bill erases state laws, giving Chinese corporations unchecked control over American family farmers.
The radio campaign began on Saturday with spots on Cedar Rapids’ iHeart Radio station that will continue across the state and in other key swing Congressional Districts throughout the upcoming Farm Bill debate. The 30-second spots encourage listeners to call their elected officials and ask them to vote no on any Farm Bill that contains the Steve King rebranded EATS Act.
EATS is just a revamped version of the controversial “King Amendment” championed by former Rep. Steve King (R-IA). It is the biggest attack on states’ rights America’s rural communities have likely ever faced. The “King Amendment” failed to make it into the past two farm bills after bi-partisan opposition to the egregious amendment. Now, legislators working for industrial agriculture interests have rebranded the measure hoping most would not notice.
This legislation will erase countless laws passed by state and local governments nationwide that benefit family farms over international conglomerates, as well as those that support dairy farmers, baby food safety, and the control of invasive pests. Put simply, this bill permanently strips power from legislators at state and local levels of government.
Key Quotes
“If the King Amendment or EATS act or anything like it is added to the farm bill it will be devastating for dairy producers across America,” said Deborah Mills, chair of the National Dairy Producers Organization and a board member at OCM.
“We must prevent the EATS Act from being included in the upcoming Farm Bill and exhaust every resource available to keep this poison pill from becoming law,” said Jonathan Buttram, the president of the Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association and OCM board Treasurer. “U.S. House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders Debbie Stabenow, Glenn Thompson, John Boozman, and David Scott should reject this egregious attack against state agriculture laws.”
“OCM is ready, willing, and able to roll up our sleeves and dig in to help prevent the EATS Act from being enacted in the upcoming Farm Bill,” said Taylor Haynes, president of OCM. “American family farmers will not stand for this attack on states’ rights that could land our farms under the control of the Chinese Government.
“The EATS Act is nothing but a Trojan Horse designed to put family farmers out of business and give multinational conglomerates like JBS and Chinese-owned Smithfield an even greater advantage than they already have.” said Mike Schultz, senior vice-president at OCM and founder of the Kansas Cattlemen’s Association. “It’s a crying shame to see my Senator Roger Marshall leading this assault on producers and states’ rights.”
“If the Farm Bill includes Rep. Ashley Hinson's egregious provision and passes it, companies like the Chinese-owned Smithfield and Brazil-based JBS will own livestock production in the United States,” said Marty Irby, president at CMA and board secretary at OCM. “We’d rather have no farm bill than a farm bill with Hinson's EATS Act included.”
Click here to listen to the radio spot aired in Iowa
The EAT’s Act is a gift to the Chinese and Brazil governments whose agribusiness conglomerates have lobbied to remove U.S. state and local protections for rural communities. If passed, it’ll also be a devastating blow to multigenerational American farmers and ranchers who’d be forced to compete against these foreign industrial operations opening in their locales.
Furthermore, the EATS Act would create a race to the bottom when it comes to food safety in our country, eliminating state laws protecting baby food and the safety of milk for our families.
OCM and CMA are committed to fighting against the EATS Act to ensure that America’s farmers and ranchers don’t get wiped out, our dairy farmers continue to benefit from state laws they’ve worked so hard to pass, and families are able to still purchase safe, affordable food.
The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Lincoln, Nebraska. The foundation of the Organization for Competitive Markets 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.
Competitive Markets Action (CMA) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit based in Washington, D.C. that was formed with the mission of advancing 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 to the farmer, the consumer and our U.S. economy as a whole in an effort to bring about legislative and regulatory reforms.