NMPF Statement on Passage of Goodlatte-Scott Farm Bill Amendment
June 20, 2013
From Jerry Kozak, President and CEO, NMPF:
“The decision to adopt the Goodlatte-Scott (G-S) amendment as part of the House’s farm bill is a disappointment to America’s dairy farmers who recognize this amendment for what it is: an effort to ensure that dairy processors get a government-insured supply of cheap milk. But the House vote against final passage of the farm bill makes the G-S vote a hollow victory for its proponents.
“We always knew we faced a difficult challenge in the more urban and suburban-oriented House, especially with House Speaker John Boehner personally committed to defeating the Dairy Security Act. But we’re hopeful that the House and Senate will eventually find a way to write a compromise farm bill. When they do, we believe the agriculture conferees who develop that final bill will understand the importance of the more balanced approach to dairy policy contained in the Senate-passed farm bill.
“The House rejection of its Agriculture Committee’s dairy proposal, which included margin insurance plus market stabilization, is a fiscally reckless vote, with negative implications for the dairy producer sector, but also for the entire farm bill. By eliminating the market stabilization component, the Goodlatte-Scott amendment removed the cost control mechanism from this measure, greatly increasing government and taxpayer cost exposure.”
The National Milk Producers Federation, based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance the well-being of dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. The members of NMPF’s 30 cooperatives produce the majority of the U.S. milk supply, making NMPF the voice of more than 32,000 dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.
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