Congressman Lucas comments on DOJ investigation of beef-processing industry

Lucas Statement on DOJ Investigation of Beef-Processing Industry

Cheyenne, OK – Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) released the following statement after reports surfaced that the U.S. Department of Justice has issued civil subpoenas to the titans of the beef-processing industry: JBS USA Holdings Inc., Tyson Foods Inc., Cargill Inc. and National Beef Packing Co.:

“The reports of the Department of Justice’s continued investigation into the meatpacking industry is encouraging news for cattle ranchers across America. The coronavirus pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of America’s food supply chain and accentuated the challenges beef producers face with a market that is controlled by the actions of a few, mostly foreign-based firms.”

Lucas continued, “The DOJ’s investigation could shed light on these unsettling competition and security problems in our supply chain, and I join my fellow cattle ranchers in thanking the Department for their checks and balances on an increasingly competitive food industry. I urge U.S. Attorney General William Barr to share the findings of the Department’s investigation with Congress as soon as possible so that policymakers can address the concerns of their investigation and restore confidence back into cattle markets.”

JBS USA Holdings, Tyson Foods, Cargill, and the National Beef Packing Co. account for roughly 73% of the beef processing capacity in the United States.

Cong. Lucas joins US, OK Ag Secretaries in announcing $71M for rural broadband in Oklahoma

Lucas Joins USDA, Secretary Blayne Arthur Announcing $71 Million for Rural Broadband in Oklahoma

Cheyenne, OK (May 7, 2020) – This morning, Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) joined United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue and Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur announcing the investment of $71 million in broadband services in unserved and rural areas in Oklahoma. Funded by USDA’s Rural Development Broadband ReConnect Program, the project will build over 800 miles of fiber to the premises for more than 12,500 households, farms, and businesses.

“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the digital divide between rural and nonrural America. When schools and businesses shut down and residents were asked to stay in their homes, many Americans were left scrambling to adjust to their new largely virtual world. This proved especially challenging for rural America, where barely two-thirds of households have access to broadband Internet. Over the last two months I have been reminded of the innovative spirit of rural America. Teachers, doctors, and business owners have had to come up with creative solutions to continue their work of supporting their communities in the face of this vast technical challenge. Programs like ReConnect are desperately needed, now more than ever,” said Congressman Lucas.

Lucas, Oklahoma delegation ask USDA to provide findings of Beef pricing investigation

Members of Congress Ask USDA to Provide Findings of Beef Pricing Investigation As Soon As Possible

Cheyenne, OK – Today, Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) led a bipartisan letter with 24 of his House colleagues to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue requesting that he provide the findings of the Agency’s beef pricing investigation to Congress as soon as possible. Following the announcement of the USDA’s Packers and Stockyard Division investigation in August of 2019, Secretary Perdue, extended USDA’s investigation last month to determine the causes of divergence between live beef and box prices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Beginning in the first few weeks of the crisis, cattlemen have seen prices drastically decline, with cattle futures falling 29% between the month of January and April, all-the-while beef prices increased on market shelves. While we do recognize the complexity of the beef markets generally, the devastating effect this has had on many of our constituents in the last few weeks is clear. This is of great concern to us for a variety of reasons but chief among them being the doubt it casts on our markets as a whole. When market participants begin to believe that markets are not competitive or transparent that suspicion has a dangerous industry-wide ripple effect. That is why we applaud you for expanding the ongoing investigation into the cattle market's reaction to the 2019 plant fire in Holcomb, Kansas to encompass the more recent CV-19 related market concerns. This oversight role the agency plays is an immensely important one that helps ensure that our markets are equipped to function properly,” the Members of Congress wrote.

Lucas joins calls for USDA to provide immediate assistance to cattle producers

Lucas Joins Colleagues Urging USDA to Provide Immediate Assistance to Cattle Producers

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-03) joined a letter led by U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and U.S. Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue requesting that he provide immediate assistance to cattle producers by using the resources provided in the recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stabilization (CARES) Act, including the replenishment of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and additional emergency funding. Doing so would help facilitate the stabilization of farm and ranch income for producers who are facing market volatility in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic fallout.

“The COVID-19 outbreak has demonstrated the need for domestic food security,” the Members of Congress wrote. “All farmers and ranchers are vital to our country’s ability to keep food on the table in a future pandemic or related crisis, and many producers, including young producers, are often highly leveraged and cannot fall back on years of equity in a time of crisis. As such, we urge you to quickly deliver relief to producers as we work to lessen the economic impact of this pandemic.”

Thune, Cortez Masto, Johnson, Cuellar and others worked hard to ensure the CARES Act replenished the CCC and appropriated an additional $9.5 billion for USDA to assist producers, including livestock producers, throughout this crisis.

Read the full letter here and below:

April 1, 2020
The Honorable Sonny Perdue
Secretary
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250

Dear Secretary Perdue,

We write to request swift assistance for cattle producers with the resources provided in the recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stabilization (CARES) Act to facilitate the stabilization of farm and ranch income to producers who are facing market volatility in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic fallout.

Recognizing the market volatility and financial hardships producers are facing because of COVID-19, the CARES Act provides $14 billion toward replenishment of the Commodity Credit Corporation and an additional $9.5 billion for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to assist farmers and ranchers in response to COVID-19.  While we do not know what the full market impact will be for the various commodities produced in our states, we recognize that there is an immediate need for assistance for our cattle producers.

We request that USDA consider data and estimates available from the Office of the Chief Economist and implement a program that would directly respond to the negative effect on producers caused by COVID-19.  This program should deliver targeted, temporary, equitable relief to cattle producers in a manner that limits market distortions and negative effects on price discovery.

The COVID-19 outbreak has demonstrated the need for domestic food security.  All farmers and ranchers are vital to our country’s ability to keep food on the table in a future pandemic or related crisis, and many producers, including young producers, are often highly leveraged and cannot fall back on years of equity in a time of crisis.  As such, we urge you to quickly deliver relief to producers as we work to lessen the economic impact of this pandemic.

Hern applauds new food stamp work-requirement rule for able-bodied adults without dependents

Hern applauds new USDA rule strengthening requirements for SNAP recipients

WASHINGTON, DC – This morning, the United States Department of Agriculture published a final rule entitled “Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP): Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents.”

In February, Rep. Kevin Hern (OK-01) sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in support of this proposed rule with the support of 64 Members of Congress.

“I’ve been a strong supporter of this new rule since the moment they announced it,” said Rep. Hern. “There is nothing quite as empowering as a job. No federal program has the power to pull a person out of poverty, no government handout can help a person find independence and success. Only through gainful employment can a person find true stability. We should be encouraging our people to work, contribute to the economy, and put themselves on the path to independence rather than chaining them to the crutch of social programs. Programs like SNAP were never meant to be a long-term solution, but merely a temporary assistance. This ruling will help the American people rise up from poverty and find a better life for themselves. I applaud Secretary Perdue’s commitment to reforming this program!”

Background Information:

The rule promotes work for able-bodied adults (ABAWDs) between the age of 18-49 without dependents and does not apply to children and their parents, those over 50 years old, those with a disability, or pregnant women. The Food and Nutrition Act limits the amount of time ABAWDs can receive SNAP benefits to three months over a 36-month period, unless recipients work or participate in an employment workfare program for minimum hours.  The law allows states to apply for waivers of this time limit due to economic conditions. The waivers resulted in 3.8 million ABAWDs on SNAP in 2016, 2.8 million of which were not working at all. The final rule adjusts the criteria for when and where state may waive these limits.  Under USDA’s rule, states retain flexibility to waive the time-limit in areas of high unemployment and to exempt a percentage of their ABAWD caseload.

You can find more information on these changes here.