Roberts, Marshall, Costa Recognized as 'Friends of the Livestock Marketing Industry'

During the Livestock Marketing Association's (LMA) annual D.C. Fly In, Retired Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS), and House Livestock Subcommittee Chairman Jim Costa (D-CA) received the Friend of the Livestock Marketing Industry award for going above and beyond in their legislative service on behalf of the livestock marketing industry. This is the first time in more than 20 years that LMA has given the award. It is the first time legislators have been award recipients.

"It takes true leadership and quite a bit of grit to be a leader in livestock policy," said Chelsea Good, LMA vice president of government and industry affairs and legal. "LMA has been blessed by the leadership of Senators Roberts and Marshall and Representative Costa. They roll their sleeves up, dig into the details, and are willing to stand up for what is right."

Roberts is the only individual to chair both the House and Senate agriculture committees. He remained true to his Kansas roots throughout his forty years of serving in Washington D.C., prioritizing the interests of the livestock sector. In fact, he was known to some simply as the "Farm Guy."

In the 115th and 116th Congresses, Marshall, who was serving in the U.S. House of Representatives at the time, partnered with Costa to lead the Securing All Livestock Equitably (SALE) Act. The SALE Act, which passed into law, created a Dealer Statutory Trust. The Dealer Statutory Trust helps to provide sellers of livestock with payment protection during dealer payment defaults. Modeled after the Packer Statutory Trust, the Dealer Statutory Trust gives unpaid sellers of livestock (producers, livestock auction markets, and other dealers) first priority in unpaid-for livestock or, if the livestock have already been resold, the proceeds and receivables from those livestock. Dealer Trust was a top priority for LMA.

Both Marshall and Costa continue their service to Congress and the livestock industry. Rep. Costa is Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture. Sen. Marshall, who has served in the Senate since 2021, is a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

"The state of Kansas, and livestock industry as a whole, greatly appreciate the tremendous service of Chairman Pat Roberts," said Dan Harris, owner of Holton Livestock Exchange in Holton, Kan., and LMA Board Member. "Chairman Roberts served well and was always a champion for competitive livestock marketing businesses like mine. I'm particularly proud of the Holton High School graduate and the impact he has made."

"Congressmen Costa has long been a friend of and advocate for the Livestock Marketing Association," said Jake Parnell, manager of Cattlemen's Livestock Market in Galt, Calif., and LMA Board Member. "His commitment to passing the Dealer Statutory Trust and helping Agriculture navigate the recent supply chain issue are just two examples of the congressman's leadership within our industry. He has made the agriculture community a priority in his more than four decades of service and is beyond deserving of this award. We look forward to continuing our positive relationship and working with Congressmen Costa as he chairs the House Livestock Subcommittee."

"It's pretty cool to have a Senator whose first job was working out back at his local Kansas sale barn," said Brody Peak, owner of Emporia Livestock Sales in Emporia, Kan., and LMA Board Member. "Senator Marshall really stuck to his guns in making sure Dealer Statutory Trust became law. Thanks to this, cattle producers and sellers now have payment priority in the event of a livestock dealer default, as they should."

Approximately 50 LMA members and staff traveled to Washington D.C. for the 2022 LMA D.C. Fly In to meet with leaders on issues that matter to the livestock marketing industry. Priority topics included needed changes to the Packers and Stockyards Act to allow livestock auction owners to invest in small packers and to incentivize electronic payment for livestock. In addition to meetings on Capitol Hill, attendees also met with USDA officials and hosted briefings on Capitol Hill about the livestock marketing industry.