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Oppose Keys Nomination to USDA
| Lincoln, NE ~ The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) today called for Congress to begin restoring public trust in government by halting the degree to which industry corporations influence public policy, particularly in agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
OCM President, Keith Mudd, says the organization will vigorously oppose the nomination of G. Chandler Keys to a high level post at USDA. Recent media reports indicate that Keys will be nominated by the Bush Administration to replace Bill Hawks as USDA’s Undersecretary for the Agricultural Marketing and Regulatory program. In 2005 Keys left a 20-year career with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) where he worked as the organization’s chief lobbyist. After leaving NCBA, Keys handled government relations in Washington, DC for Swift & Co. "The continued pattern of appointing people with strong industry ties to agri-business companies and special interest sectors to federal regulating agencies must stop," said Mudd. "Research shows there are approximately as many industry people among USDA appointees as there are career civil servants. The revolving employment door between industry and the regulating agency sets the stage for policy influence abuse. Mr. Keys has a long history of opposing grassroots livestock producers while advocating policy that favors corporate agriculture and the meat packing industry. The nomination of Mr. Keys should be rejected and USDA should be directed to search for an unbiased, knowledgeable candidate who will appropriately represent agriculture’s broad base." In 2004 OCM co-authored a paper titled USDA INC: How Agribusiness Has Hijacked Regulatory Policy at USDA (www.revolvingdoor.info). "Research documented in the paper shows that multi-national agricultural corporations and the meat packing industry are embedded at USDA," noted Mudd. "The current administration seems intent on bringing the business special interests into politics in an effort to take over the regulatory agencies of government so they can, in effect, regulate themselves. This is a disturbing trend that has been very harmful to grassroots agricultural producers. It’s time for Congress to intervene. We urge Congress to reject Keys during the confirmation process and take the first step in restoring credibility to the People’s Agency." |
The Organization for Competitive Markets is an agricultural free market and competition think tank working for honesty, prosperity and economic liberty for farmers, ranchers and rural communities.