WASHINGTON, D.C., —R-CALF USA representatives recently returned from a productive week in the nation’s capital, where they engaged with key policymakers and industry leaders to advance reforms critical to rebuilding America’s cattle and sheep industries.
R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard met with White House officials to offer solutions and actionable policy recommendations addressing the crises facing U.S. cattle and sheep producers. Discussions focused on restoring competitive markets, strengthening domestic supply chains and defending rural producers from unchecked corporate consolidation.
Bullard and R-CALF USA Region VII Director Eric Nelson also attended the Coalition for a Prosperous America’s annual meeting alongside Trump administration officials and top policy influencers including U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, former National Security Council official Roger Robinson Jr., and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott.
During the conference, Bullard and R-CALF USA Sheep Committee member Carson Jorgensen participated in a panel exploring how 21st-century agricultural policy can be informed by 19th-century principles that empowered independent producers and rural economies. Watch the full discussion featuring Jorgensen here and a short clip of Bullard’s remarks here.
The week also included targeted Capitol Hill advocacy, where R-CALF USA representatives urged lawmakers to support a ban on unpriced cattle contracts, a critical step toward restoring transparency and competition in the cattle market.
Nelson later joined a panel discussion at the Make America Healthy Again Institute Conference, examining strategies to rebuild a family-sized, community-oriented agricultural economy. Addressing hundreds of stakeholders, speakers emphasized the urgent need for antitrust enforcement and market reform to counteract the dominance of corporate meatpackers and agribusiness giants.
Bullard said the future of America’s cattle and sheep industries will likely be decided during the next few months, as this administration is seeking major reforms across all economic sectors.
He said his group has laid out a plan for ensuring the cattle and sheep industries remain independent.
“We’ve asked the Trump administration to put quotas and tariffs on cattle, beef and lamb imports; require country of origin labeling on beef sold in America; ban unpriced cattle procurement contracts; reform the beef checkoff program; and end the government’s electronic identification mandate.
“The administration is being bold in its reforms; we must be bold in asking for what we need,” he concluded.
