Farmers Union Deeply Disappointed In Tax Reform Conference Bill's "Severely Flawed Fiscal Policy"

 

The U.S. House of Representatives today voted to approve the conference Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a sweeping tax system overhaul that will now go to the President’s desk for signing into law.

 

National Farmers Union (NFU) staunchly opposed the Act because of its regressive taxation structure and devastating implications health care affordability and the nation’s financial standing. The bill’s massive $1.5 trillion increase to the deficit now places farm program and entitlement funding on the chopping block, says the family farm organization. NFU President Roger Johnson issued the following statement in response to the vote:

 

“Farmers Union is deeply disappointed in Congress’ decision to approve the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, not only because it is flawed fiscal policy, but also because we must now fight to protect every penny that is spent securing our nation’s food supply and natural resources, supporting our rural communities, and feeding our hungry.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.