In recent weeks, the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) has been actively working to advance both House and Senate “Dear Colleague” letters. These letters call on members of Congress to urge the U.S. Trade Representative to support the U.S. International Trade Commission in initiating a global safeguard investigation into lamb meat imports under Sections 201–202 of the Trade Act of 1974.
Tragically this week, Western Caucus Chairman and House letter lead, Rep. Doug. LaMalfa (R-CA) passed away unexpectedly. Rep. LaMalfa was a fierce advocate for our issues and the Western way of life. In lieu of his leadership on our “Dear Colleague” letter initiative, ASI has decided to hold off on pushing this letter forward until a new leader is established.
ASI is still moving forward with the Senate letter, spearheaded by Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT). The sheep industry is making a strong push to secure signatures before tomorrow’s January 9th deadline. ASI, Cornerstone staff and state associations have reached out to members of Congress who have championed or been an ally to the industry and urged their support for our initiative and the letter. While this outreach has been critical and effective, your producer and constituent voices matter most. Members of Congress respond most successfully to constituents in their state and district. Cornerstone has and continues to offer support finding contact information for your members. If you have not already reached out to your members of Congress, please do so TODAY.
