Senators push action as U.S. cattle herd hits 75-year low
What do you think?
Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall and 10 other Republican senators are urging the Trump administration to move faster on policies they say would help ranchers rebuild the nation’s shrinking cattle herd.
In a letter dated Tuesday, the senators asked Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to expand livestock grazing, increase beef-processing capacity and reduce federal regulations affecting cattle producers.
They specifically called for finalizing the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed grazing rule and reviewing the Wild Horse and Burro Program, Endangered Species Act, and Conservation Reserve Program. They said those programs can limit the amount of public and private land available for cattle.
The letter also asks the Agriculture Department to evaluate and potentially expand Livestock Risk Protection, an insurance program designed to protect ranchers when cattle prices decline.
The push comes as the federal government works to reverse a years-long decline in the cattle supply. The United States began 2026 with 86.2 million cattle and calves, the smallest herd in 75 years.
Midyear figures showed the overall cattle inventory increased slightly compared with July 2025. However, the number of beef cows remained 1% lower, while the projected calf crop was down 2% — signs that rebuilding the herd could take years.
The senators did not provide a cost estimate for the requested changes or explain how expanded grazing would be balanced with wildlife and conservation protections.
