Joined by 14 cosponsors, bill uses the CRA process to overturn the Biden Administration’s new rule
Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Harriet Hageman, joined by Representatives Armstrong (R-ND), Biggs (R-AZ), Boebert (R-CO), Brecheen (R-OK), Crane (R-AZ), Donalds (R-FL), Gosar (R-AZ), Maloy (R-UT), Massie (R-KY), Ogles (R-TN), McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Rosendale (R-MT), Jason Smith (R-MO), and Spartz (R-IN), introduced a joint resolution pursuant to the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to block the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) rule mandating electronic identification (EID) eartags for bison and cattle moving interstate. A companion resolution was introduced by Senator Cynthia Lummis, making this bicameral legislation.
Representative Hageman stated, “This rule is a solution in search of a problem that will advance a federal mandate which the American ranching community will have to pay for. America produces the highest quality meat in the world and there is nothing wrong with our traditional disease traceability system. This unfunded mandate raises serious privacy concerns for ranchers and their herds, with the potential to lock ranchers out of their traditional markets, thereby furthering vertical integration of the U.S. food supply chain.
“We need look no further than what happened in Ireland to recognize the threat of a USDA-driven EID mandate.” Hageman continued, “In early 2022 Ireland adopted an EID mandate, and by August 2023, its government was reporting that they needed to slaughter as many as 41,000 head of livestock – not because of a disease outbreak, but because of so called “climate change.” A mandatory EID simply gives the federal government too much power.”
“Cattle ranching is incredibly vital to the North Dakota economy,” said Representative Armstrong. “If we are going to remain food and energy secure, we need policies that support our farmers and ranchers, not unfunded mandates guided by the whims of the federal government. I am proud to support Representative Hageman’s EID CRA and work to protect our cattle and producers from temperamental mandates that have real consequences for our communities.”
“The Biden Administration’s proposed rule to force cattle and bison producers to use electronic identification eartags is a gross overstep by the federal government and implies that bureaucrats sitting in cubicles know better than America’s ranchers,” said Congressman Josh Brecheen. “Nowhere in our Constitution is the Executive Branch granted this authority and it is long past time we stand up to Biden’s bureaucrats.”
“This is just another attempt by the Biden regime to unnecessarily expand the reach of the federal government, placing massive burdens on family farms,” said Representative Eli Crane. “Our ranchers are the best in the world. They certainly don’t need to be told how to operate their businesses by power hungry desk jockeys in Washington. Proud to stand with Rep. Hageman against the Biden Administration’s meddling in rural America.”
“Like most policies, the Biden administration’s rule mandating electronic eartags for bison and cattle is far overreaching, intrusive and potentially circumvents privacy laws and regulations. Congress must block this insane mandate,” stated Congressman Gosar.
Representative Maloy stated, "Livestock producers in Utah have reached out to me with a couple of concerns about RFID. First, the cost of implementing the requirements could put small operators out of business, and second, the mandatory nature of the program raises privacy concerns. That’s why I cosponsored Rep Hageman’s CRA to reverse this rule and empower Utah’s ranchers.”
“A rule requiring electronic ear tags for cattle and bison means the government will know where every animal is and who owns it,” said Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY). “This will allow the government to build a registry, which is the first step needed to ban cattle in accordance with the Left’s anti-agriculture climate policies. Congress should stand up for American farmers and ranchers by blocking the electronic ear tag rule.”
“America already has the safest and highest quality meat in the world with our current traceability system,” said Representative Rosendale. “The best stewards of cattle and bison are the ranchers that keep food on American’s tables, not some DC bureaucrats who have never set foot on a farm. This new APHIS rule will violate the privacy of ranchers, is too expensive to be effective, and is completely unnecessary.”
“The Biden administration has no business forcing Missouri ranchers to comply with this overreaching, expensive, and unworkable mandate,” said Representative Jason Smith(Mo.). “Sadly, this is just another example of Washington bureaucrats trying to dictate how America’s ranchers – the best in the world – should run their operation. In addition to raising strong privacy concerns, this mandate will also force ranchers to waste precious time and resources filling out mountains of paperwork and purchasing expensive equipment to avoid hefty fines. I’m proud to stand with Congresswoman Hageman and my colleagues in the fight to protect ranchers from another egregious attempt by the Biden administration to expand government command and control over our rural communities.”
Background:
- The CRA is an additional check on the administrative state passed in 1996 which allows Congress to overturn federal agency action. It requires agencies to report final rules to the House, Senate, and the Government Accountability Office, at which point Congress can review a rule, and if opposed to it, vote on a joint resolution of disapproval nullifying the rule. Proper consideration of the joint resolution allows it to be expedited through the Senate, providing timely oversight of agency action.
- On May 9, 2024, APHIS issued the final rule which amends animal disease traceability regulations to require bison and cattle eartags to be both visually and electronically readable to be recognized as official eartags for interstate movement. In 2013, APHIS created the animal disease traceability framework which recognizes visually readable tags, brands, tattoos, and breed registry certificates as official identification. This system continues to succeed and keep the U.S. as the producer of the highest quality meat in the world. APHIS’ proposed rule acknowledges this successful disease traceability system stating “Foreign animal diseases such as FMD have been largely excluded from the United States.
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Contact: Chris Berardi, Sr. Advisor/Communications Director
