Coalition Against User Fees

February 15, 2008 - The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) joined nearly 40 other food and agriculture organizations urging members of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to oppose the request to assess "user fees" for federally mandated meat, poultry and egg inspection programs, which was included in the 2009 U.S. Department of Agriculture budget proposal to Congress.

These user fees for government mandated food safety inspection programs represent an additional $96 million tax on consumers, livestock and poultry producers and the meat, poultry and egg processing industries.

The food safety-tax proposal would put meat, poultry and egg products at a competitive disadvantage in the domestic and international marketplace, compared with other food and imported products not subject to this tax.

"Past attempts to impose user fees have been unsuccessful, and ASI joins the other associations in asking Congress to once again reject this assessment," stated ASI Legislative Council co chair, DA Harral, producer leader from Texas.
Staff contact: Peter Orwick, ext. 33

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