Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV) and Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC) introduced bipartisan legislation today to close a loophole that allows taxpayer dollars to be used to subsidize lobbying by large agricultural interests at the expense of smaller producers and consumers.

The Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act refines the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s checkoff programs by closing a loophole that allows taxpayer dollars to be used for lobbying. The programs were established by the federal government and are funded through compulsory fees on producers of milk, eggs, beef, and other agricultural products so that members of the agricultural industry could pool their financial resources for promotional and research purposes. But lax oversight at the federal level has allowed harmful collusion between the boards governing these programs and the agriculture lobby.

“This system has been abused by big agricultural interests,” Congresswoman Titus said. “Their lobbyists have pushed Congress to enact laws that benefit only them. With too many Nevadans bearing the brunt of higher food prices, big ag corporations should be working to keep costs low, not lining their own pockets by promoting anticompetitive practices. I’m pushing this bipartisan legislation to increase federal oversight, prevent conflicts of interest, and stop ag lobbyists from squeezing small producers out of business.”

The OFF Act targets the influence of agriculture lobbyists and prohibits anticompetitive behavior by preventing USDA checkoff programs from paying organizations that lobby on agricultural issues, banning activities that involve a conflict of interest, and requiring audits to ensure compliance.

“We applaud the Members of Congress for their long-term leadership and for introducing the bipartisan, bicameral OFF Act and call on both the House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders to stand up for American family farmers by moving this legislation swiftly through their committees,” said Taylor Haynes, President of the Organization for Competitive Markets. “If we’re going to be forced to pay into USDA’s checkoff programs then the very least we should expect is transparency, accountability, and oversight of our hard-earned dollars, and the OFF Act accomplishes just that.”

“Scandal after scandal has proven the long-term corruption in the beef, dairy, and pork checkoff programs that continue to utilize our own tax dollars against us and the day of reckoning is here,” said Mike Schultz, Founder of the Kansas Cattlemen’s Association and Vice-President at the Organization for Competitive Markets. “American family farmers are up in arms and are determined to see justice in the 119th Congress with the enactment of the OFF Act. Clean up decades of corruption.” 

“America's farmers and ranchers are fed up with their hard-earned money landing in the hands of corporate lobbyists,” said Farm Action Fund President and Missouri farmer Joe Maxwell. “We face enough hurdles as it is; the last thing we need is our own dollars extracted against our will and then used to illegally lobby on behalf of the largest corporations that are already squeezing us out of the market. It’s the USDA’s job to prevent this abuse, and they continue to fail us. The OFF Act’s common-sense reforms would ensure USDA performs stringent oversight so that farmers know exactly where their money is going.”