{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://gianforte.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/gianforte-urges-congress-investigate-nation-s-cattle-markets", "Gianforte Urges Congress to Investigate Nations Cattle Markets", "2019-10-22", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "House", "MT", "Greg Gianforte", "G000584", "gianforte.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Greg Gianforte drew lawmakers' attention to the nation's cattle markets and urged Congress to investigate them.\nGianforte highlighted the August fire at a beef packing plant in Holcomb, Kansas and its impact on the cattle markets. He described how cattle prices have fallen while retail beef prices have hit a four-year high.\nGianforte updated the House on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's investigation, saying, I asked Secretary Perdue to investigate the cattle market following the Holcomb fire, and he agreed. USDA expects the investigation to wrap up by the end of the year.\nGianforte then called on Congress to investigate the nation's cattle markets.\nI urge the House to do right by America's ranchers and also look into the cattle market, Gianforte said. Montana ranchers produce the world's best beef, but current conditions in the market are hurting them. They deserve an explanation and to be treated fairly.\nDownload video of Gianforte's remarks HERE\nIn September, Gianforte led a bipartisan effort to aid cattle producers and live-cattle haulers who faced a crisis because of the fire at the Holcomb processing plant.\nAlso in September, Gianforte and U.S. Senator Steve Daines sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue urging a swift and transparent investigation into the fire.\nGianforte's remarks as prepared:\nMadam Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the state of our nation's cattle markets. \nFollowing the August fire at Tyson's beef packing plant in Holcomb, Kansas, live cattle prices hit a five-year low. At the same time, retail beef prices rose.\nIt makes sense: if you can process less cattle, there's an oversupply in the market and less processed beef, which increases retail beef prices.\nBut the Holcomb processing plant represented only five percent of America's processing capacity. And yet, live cattle prices fell 11 percent while retail prices hit their highest levels since 2015.\nI asked Secretary Perdue to investigate the cattle market following the Holcomb fire, and he agreed. USDA expects the investigation to wrap up by the end of the year.\nI urge the House to do right by America's ranchers and also look into the cattle market.\nMontana ranchers produce the world's best beef, but current conditions in the market are hurting them. They deserve an explanation and to be treated fairly.\nI look forward to a full accounting of the cattle market, and I yield back.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://gianforte.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/gianforte-urges-congress-investigate-nation-s-cattle-markets"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.973418053239584, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}