NoNAIS.org

[Update: The amendment will be considered Thursday, May 18th, 2006 so there is still time to contact your US House Represenatives. -WJ]

Congressman Ron Paul (TX) has introduced an amendment to the agriculture appropriates bill (H.R.5384) that will defund the USDA’s proposed National Animal Identification System (NAIS) effectively blocking the USDA from implementing NAIS. Because the USDA is giving federal money to states to fund the state level Premises ID and NAIS this will effectively block virtually all development of NAIS in all fifty states. The vote is tomorrow, Wednesday, May 17th, 2006.

Action Items

1. Email your congressional representatives in both the House and the Senate asking them to Vote yes on Congressman Ron Paul’s amendment to H.R.5384 blocking funding of NAIS.
2. Call your congressman - this is even more powerful than email for many congressional representatives. You can get the Capitol Switchboard: (202) 225-3121 or simply follow the above links to the House and Senate member lists where you can find your reps and their phone numbers.
3. Send a copy of your letter to your local newspaper. There isn’t time for it to get published before the vote but this will help to spread the word.
4. Alert everyone you can about this vote. Post this to discussion lists. Tell your family and friends. Spread the word. This may be our most important blow against the USDA’s heavy handed, unilateral attempt implement NAIS.
5. Bonus Credit: Send a copy of your letter to your state level legislators. They are not voting on this but it is a chance to make contact with them on this issue and state your opposition to NAIS. It is fine if they don’t get the message until after the vote. The point is to make contact and make them aware there is opposition to NAIS in Congress.

Here is the text of the amendment to the ag appropriations bill:

AMENDMENT TO H.R., AS REPORTED
(AGRICULTURE APPROPRIATIONS, 2007)
OFFERED BY MR. PAUL OF TEXAS

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the following new sections:

SEC. . None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to implement or administer the National Animal Identification System.

Also, here is a letter from Congressman Ron Paul to his colleagues:

From: Norman.Singleton@mail.house.gov
Subject: Congressman Paul’s first Dear Colleague on NAIS (went out this af ternoon)
Date: May 16, 2006 7:07:48 PM EDT

“We currently have the systems in place to track animals, as has just happened with the recent ‘mad cow’ in Alabama. Sacrificing our freedoms for security is not a good trade off, in my opinion. Our Founding Fathers knew the dangers of Government becoming to big. This plan is too intrusive, too costly, and will be devastating to small farmers and ranchers.” Dairy Farmer and Rancher Bob Parker, explaining why he opposes the National Animal Identification System

Dear Colleague:

Please vote for my amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill (HR 5384) forbidding funding for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). The NAIS scheme forces all farmers and ranchers to “tag” their livestock with a radio frequency identification device tag (RFID) or a similar item so information on the animals’ locations can be stored in a federal database. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently implementing the program through state premise registration plans. Participation in the NAIS is currently voluntary, but the USDA will likely make NAIS mandatory in 2009.

Small, family farmers and ranchers will be forced to spend thousands of dollars, as well as comply with new paper work and monitoring regulations, to implement and operate NAIS. These farmers and ranchers will be paying for a massive assault on their property and privacy rights as NAIS forces farmers and ranchers to provide detailed information about their private property to the government. In addition, the NAIS system empowers the federal government to enter and seize property from farmers and ranchers without a warrant–a blatant violation of the Fourth Amendment-protected right to be free of arbitrary searches and seizures.

NAIS is unnecessary since most states already have identification systems to identify and track animals and virtually all stockyards issue a health certification for each animal that is sold. Furthermore, the NAIS “trace back” procedures only begin after an incident has been reported, which could be days, weeks, or even months after the harm has occurred. Since most contamination happens after the animal has left the farm or ranch and entered the food chain, tracing animals back to the farm will not help identify the source of the problem-although farmers and ranchers could be held legally liable if any of their animals becomes diseased after leaving their possession. According to a 1998 Harvard study, preventive measures already in place can protect the American people from dangers such as mad cow disease.

Bell Bellinger, vice-chairman of the Australian Beef Association, said of Australia’s National Livestock Identification System that “Financial costs like the NLIS…are seriously eroding our competitive advantage supplying an increasing contested world beef market.” Please don’t hobble American family farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to compete in the world market by burdening them with a costly, intrusive and unnecessary NAIS program. Vote for the Paul amendment to HR 5384!

Sincerely,

Ron Paul

Norman Kirk Singleton
Legislative Director
Congressman Ron Paul
203 Cannon
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-2831

“…libertarianism will win eventually because it and only it is compatible with the nature of man and of the world. Only liberty can achieve man’s prosperity, fulfillment, and happiness….libertarians now propose to fulfill the American dream and the world dream of liberty and prosperity for all mankind.”
“Murray Rothbard