Farmers & ranchers applaud Spartz for her work to address corruption at USDA’s checkoff programs
Submitted
The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) and Competitive Markets Action (CMA) recently announced the recipients of their 2023 Congressional Awards and honored U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.-05) with their Leadership Award for her work to reform the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Commodity Checkoff Programs.
Spartz was joined by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) in leading a House Appropriations Amendment in September of 2023 that would have temporarily halted the corruption within USDA’s commodity checkoff programs by cutting off funding until a USDA OIG Audit on the programs could be completed.
Spartz also cosponsored the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act, H.R. 1249/S. 557, led by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) that would reform the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s scandal-ridden checkoff programs that have been plagued by unethical and illegal activities for decades.
President & OCM Board Secretary Marty Irby presents the award to Rep. Victoria Spartz. (Photo provided)
This measure is backed by more than 200,000 farmers and ranchers across the country and groups like the Indiana Farmers Union, FreedomWorks, the American Grassfed Association, Contract Poultry Growers Association of the Virginias, American Taxpayers Union, the Heritage Foundation, as well as Reps. Massie, Alex Mooney (R-W.V.), and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.).
“It’s an honor to receive the Competitive Markets Leadership Award from Competitive Markets Action for promoting transparency around commodity checkoff programs,” Rep. Spartz said. “As a farmer myself, I understand the challenges small farmers and ranchers face, and I am committed to advancing competition in agriculture.”
“We applaud Rep. Spartz for her tireless work, tremendous leadership, and intestinal fortitude in standing up to Chinese interests and multinational conglomerates who continue to further consolidate American agriculture,” said Taylor Haynes, President of the Organization for Competitive Markets and Founder of the Wyoming Independent Cattlemen’s Association. “If Agriculture Committee leaders want to get a Farm Bill done in 2024 they’d be wise to jettison any language that nullifies state and local agriculture laws and include a provision to reform USDA’s swampy checkoff slush funds.”
“We applaud Rep. Victoria Spartz for going against the grain by pushing back against the leaders of EATS, the USDA’s scandal-ridden commodity checkoff programs, and China’s continuous attempts to takeover American agriculture,” said Marty Irby, President at Competitive Markets Action and Board Secretary of the Organization for Competitive Markets. “Industrial agribusiness interests and multinational conglomerates have turned far too many of our hard-working farm families into modern-day indentured servants and we’re amidst an uprising in the farm world Agri-Big Brother never seen before.”
“As a proud American and lifelong producer, I proudly applaud Rep. Spartz for being committed to defeating Big Ag’s Chinese and Brazilian backers that threaten our food supply,” said Jonathan Buttram, Treasurer at the Organization for Competitive Markets, and President of the Alabama Contract Poultry Growers Association and. “The industrial agriculture mafia is petrified of our work because they see the writing on the wall and we hope they soon meet the same fate as New York’s infamous ‘Five Families.’”
OCM and CMA also conducted its third fly-in since July 2023 to Washington, D.C., this month and engaged in nearly 90 meetings in support of the OFF Act, checkoff reform, and against the EATS Act, H.R. 4417/S. 2019, during those events.
About the OCM
The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Lincoln, Neb. The foundation of the OCM is to fight for competitive markets in agriculture for farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. True competition reduces the need for economic regulation. OCM’s mission and 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.
About CMA
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 the U.S. economy as a whole in an effort to bring about legislative and regulatory reforms.