This week, R-CALF welcomed the introduction of the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act, or OFF Act. The OFF Act will reform all checkoff programs, including the beef checkoff program, and was introduced by lawmakers last week in both the House and Senate. Senate Republicans Mike Lee of Utah, and Rand Paul of Kentucky joined Democrats Cory Booker of New Jersey, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kristen Gillibrand of New York to introduce the bill. House Democrat Dina Titus of Nevada joined Republican Nancy Mace of South Carolina to introduce a companion bill. Specifically, R-CALF takes aim at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, which reportedly receives nearly 82 percent of its revenue from checkoff funds. Efforts to secure a producer referendum vote have failed throughout the Beef Checkoff program's 35-yearlong history, and an R-CALF Representative says, "This is an example of how producer-funded checkoff programs have evolved into mandatory government programs with little to no producer guidance or representation.”
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