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Congress members fight anti-mink farming amendment in COMPETES Act

 Eleven members of Congress are trying to have some anti-farming language removed from legislation that is supposed to create a more competitive trade balance with China. 

The legislation is the COMPETES Act (HR4521) but Congressman Tom Tiffany from Wisconsin says the MINKS Amendment would prohibit the purchase, sale, or transportation of farmed minks. “Here you see this sneak attack, I can’t put it any other way, somebody putting in a provision that would put mink farmers out of business.”

Tiffany tells Brownfield the MINKS Amendment is just another step by activists. “In this instance, they’re going after mink farmers but make no doubt about it, they’re going to go after the rest of animal agriculture if they get the mink farmers first.”

In a letter to House Natural Resources Committee leadership, the lawmakers say American mink are highly prized on the world market, and making this change would be a disservice to agriculture and American family farms.  They also say banning mink operations is incompatible with the COMPETES Act since many US mink pelts are exported to China.

Fur Commission USA says the top U.S. mink producer by far is Wisconsin, with Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Minnesota rounding out the top five.

Mink populations were heavily impacted in 2020 since they are very susceptible to the COVID 19 virus.

The Members of Congress signing onto the letter include:

Tom Tiffany, Bryan Steil, Glenn Grothman, and Scott Fitzgerald from Wisconsin,

Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson from Idaho

Chris Stewart, Blake Moore, and Burgess Owens from Utah

Mike Kelly and Fred Keller from Pennsylvania