Tom Rooney Backs Ending Mandatory COOL on Meat Products

From his perch on the U.S. House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., announced he was co-sponsoring a bill to ending mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements on meat products. The World Trade Organization (WTO) noted earlier this week that COOL requirements violate trade agreements and Canada and Mexico have threatened to retaliate against the U.S., leading to a possible trade war.

If we dont act now to repeal COOL, well be inviting certain retaliation from two of our largest trading partners, Rooney said on Tuesday. This bill is critical to avoiding a trade war that could devastate Floridas farmers and ranchers, hamper our states economic growth, and damage agriculture and manufacturing industries across the country.

U.S. House Agriculture Chairman Chairman Michael Conaway, R-Texas, made the case for his bill on Tuesday.

In light of the WTOs decision and the certainty that we face significant retaliation by Canada and Mexico, we cannot afford to delay action, Conaway insisted. Thats why I was joined by 60 of my colleagues in introducing HR 2393, a bill to repeal mandatory COOL for beef, pork and chicken. This bill is a targeted response that will remove uncertainty, provide stability, and bring us back into compliance. I appreciate the support of so many colleagues on both sides of the aisle as we work quickly to ensure our economy and a broad spectrum of U.S. industries do not suffer the economic impacts of retaliation."