U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran and Rep. Adrian Smith of Nebraska, along with more than 50 other senators and representatives, including Reps. Ron Estes, Tracey Mann and Derek Schmidt, sent a letter this week urging President Donald Trump to prioritize policies that expand market access and provide certainty for American cattle producers. “Cattle markets are cyclical, and ranchers use the upswings to prepare for the inevitable downturn,” the letter stated. “Any intervention in the natural system, especially at a time when producers are making marketing decisions, threatens to pick winners and losers and undermine the long-term viability of family-owned cattle operations throughout the supply chain.” The members of Congress suggested long-term certainty could come from fostering existing domestic demand and continuing efforts to expand overseas markets for American beef products. This, coupled with the benefits of the Working Families Tax Cuts and a modernized farm bill, would boost market confidence, strengthen access to capital and increase grazing flexibility within conservation programs, encouraging ranchers to rebuild and expand their herds, the letter stated. They urged the president to work closely with cattle producers when developing policies that will impact them. In addition, U.S. Sens. Roger Marshall and John Barrasso of Wyoming, along with nine of their colleagues, sent a letter this week calling on USDA and the U.S. Department of the Interior to continue efforts to expand grazing access for livestock producers and strengthen risk management tools that protect them from market volatility. The letter called for finalizing the Bureau of Land Management’s grazing rule; reevaluating federal programs that impact grazing capacity on public and private lands, such as the Endangered Species Act, Conservation Reserve Program and Wild Horse and Burro Program; and improving meat processing capacity.