Congresswoman Harriet Hageman took the stage at the Livestock Producers Freedom Rally to highlight the ongoing threat of mandatory RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags under the Biden-Harris administration. Hageman, who has been fighting this battle for over five years, delved into the history of the issue, tracing it back to 2011 when the USDA first introduced the idea of RFID tags for livestock. Despite pushback from ranchers and a temporary victory in 2013, the fight resurfaced in 2019 with a USDA “guidance document” that sought to mandate RFID by 2023.
Hageman expressed her concern about the potential harm this mandate poses to small and independent ranchers, stating that it disproportionately benefits large corporations. She emphasized that while RFID tags can be a useful tool, they should be optional, not federally mandated. Her remarks focused on how this rule would further consolidate power in the hands of big producers, potentially wiping out small operations and impacting the entire food supply chain.
Hageman’s call to action was clear: resist federal overreach, stand up for independent producers, and protect the livestock industry from the disastrous consequences of this mandate.
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