Billings, Mont., Sept. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
- 86% of American voters support the American Beef Labeling Act that reinstates mandatory country of origin labeling for beef.
- 90% of voters are concerned that foreign importers of beef can legally put a ‘Product of U.S.A.’ sticker on a package containing beef that was born, raised, and harvested outside the United States.
- 89% of voters are concerned that foreign importers of beef can legally put a U.S. food safety inspection sticker on a package containing beef that was born, raised, and harvested outside the United States.
- 77% of voters believe it is important that the beef they purchase was born, raised, and harvested in the United States.
- 74% of voters say they would be more likely to vote for a U.S. Senate or U.S. House candidate who supports the American Beef Labeling Act.
A new poll of registered voters, conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) shows an overwhelming majority of voters—including 86% of Democrats, 83% of Independents, and 90% of Republicans—support the American Beef Labeling Act (S.2716 and H.R.7291) that reinstates mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL) for beef.
Additionally, an overwhelming majority of voters (77%) believe it is important that the beef they purchase was born, raised and harvested in the United States and an overwhelming majority of voters (74%) say they would be more likely to vote for a U.S. Senate or U.S. House candidate who supports the American Beef Labeling Act.
The poll further reveals that registered voters from all regions within the U.S. overwhelmingly support the American Beef Labeling Act – 82% of Northeast voters, 90% of Midwest voters, 87% of voters in the South, and 84% of voters in the West. Read the key findings here.
The American Beef Labeling Act (S.2716) is a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate in 2021 by Sens. John Thune (R-SD), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Cory Booker (D-NJ). Despite attracting additional bipartisan cosponsors – Sens. John Hoeven (R-ND), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Barrasso (R-WY), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the bill has languished without action in the U.S. Senate agriculture committee.
In March 2022, a bipartisan companion bill was introduced in the U.S. House (H.R.7291) by Reps. Lance Gooden (R-TX) and Ro Khanna (D-CA). Rep. H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) has since cosponsored the House measure.
“Too many members of Congress talk favorably about reinstating mandatory country of origin labeling for beef, but they have not yet joined the legislation as cosponsors,” said R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard. “Our new poll makes it clear that an overwhelming number of American voters want Congress to enact MCOOL for beef, and they demonstrated this with their specific support for the American Beef Labeling Act.
“We hope lawmakers will carefully review this poll and quickly join this legislation as cosponsors to ensure its swift enactment.”
According to Bullard, though many consumers and cattle producers have been contacting their congressional members urging support of the American Beef Labeling Act, in light of these powerful poll results, R-CALF USA is now urging them to go to www.labelourbeef.com to use the online form to email more requests for swift congressional action. Constituents can also call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to ask for their congressional members by name.
Key Findings:
- Voters want the beef they purchase to be American-made. Three quarters of respondents (77%) say it is important the beef they purchase was born, raised, and harvested in the United States.
- Concern over current food safety regulations for beef is high among U.S. voters. Nine in ten respondents (90%) say they find it concerning that foreign importers of beef can legally put a ‘Product of U.S.A.’ sticker on a package containing beef born, raised, and harvested outside the United States.
- Support for the American Beef Labeling Act is strong. Eighty-six percent of voters show support for the legislation.
- When thinking about the upcoming elections, there is bipartisan support for the American Beef Labeling Act. Nearly three-quarters of Democrats (72%) and four in five Republicans (79%) say they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports the American Beef Labeling Act.
Read the key findings here. View the full poll results from Morning Consult here and the cross tabs here.
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R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America) is the largest producer-only lobbying and trade association representing U.S. cattle producers. It is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the nation’s independent cattle farmers and ranchers. Visit www.r-calfusa.com or, call 406-252-2516 for more information.
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