Austin News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas-13) introduced the Senate and House versions of the Livestock Indemnity Program Enhancement Act to assist Texas cattle ranchers in recovering from the recent devastating wildfires in the Texas Panhandle.

Sen. Cruz highlighted the importance of supporting Texas ranchers, stating, “Texas ranchers are the backbone of the Texas agriculture industry. After wildfires engulfed the Panhandle earlier this year, at least 7,000 cattle perished. These fires devastated Texas ranchers, who are now struggling to rebuild. I am proud to introduce legislation to strengthen the Livestock Indemnity Program. This will give Texas cattle producers the relief they need to build back their herds and restore this pillar of Texas agriculture.”

Rep. Jackson emphasized the need to address the limitations of the Livestock Indemnity Program, stating, “While the Livestock Indemnity Program will assist affected livestock producers with cattle losses due to the wildfires, their recovery has been set back several years due to the limitations on the program’s ability to compensate for unborn livestock losses from the loss of pregnant livestock. By creating a payment rate for unborn livestock losses, we can better assist our producers, helping them recover quicker and mitigating the long-term effects of these wildfires.”

Russell Boening, President of Texas Farm Bureau, expressed gratitude for the legislation, stating, “As Texas farmers and ranchers continue working to recover from devastating wildfires, it is critical to provide as much assistance and flexibility as possible to help them get back on their feet. We thank Sen. Ted Cruz and Congressman Ronny Jackson for introducing the ‘Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) Enhancement Act’ to compensate ranchers who lost unborn calves due to the wildfires.”

Allison Rivera, Executive Director of Government Affairs at NCBA, commended the efforts of Sen. Cruz and Rep. Jackson in addressing the impact of wildfires on cattle producers, stating, “Due to recent devastating wildfires, many cattle producers have suffered livestock losses, including the loss of unborn calves. Current federal law fails to compensate producers for unborn calves, but this legislation would change that thanks to Sen. Cruz and Rep. Ronny Jackson’s bill to provide an additional payment rate for unborn calves as part of the Livestock Indemnity Program.”

Carl Ray Polk, Jr., TSCRA President, highlighted the significance of the proposed legislation in supporting ranchers affected by natural disasters, stating, “The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) fails to compensate ranchers for the loss of their calf crop. In the Texas Panhandle, the devastating effects of this gap are particularly glaring in the wake of the recent wildfires. Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) thanks Senator Cruz and Congressman Jackson for addressing this gap in the LIP Enhancement Act.”

The Livestock Indemnity Program Enhancement Act is supported by the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Texas Farm Bureau, and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.