Shortly after Senator Mullen met with the President after our interview, Trump tweeted this:
Mullin Takes Cattle Price Fight to White House, Slams “Leverage” Tactics in Prolonged Shutdown
Senator Markwayne Mullin will join the Oklahoma Farm Bureau meeting via video today, as he is meeting with the President to address the growing crisis in the cattle market. Mullin is taking Oklahoma’s concerns to the White House, citing the “disconnect” between producer prices and consumer costs. He expressed his deep regret at not being able to join his fellow farmers and ranchers in person.
In a conversation with Farm Director KC, Sheperd Mullin Demands Answers on Cattle Volatility and, in a wide-ranging discussion, the senator also expressed deep frustration with the ongoing government shutdown, now in its 38th day, accusing Democratic leadership of backing out of a deal and “holding the American people hostage” for political leverage.
The Cattle Market “Doesn’t Make Any Sense”
Senator Mullin, himself an Oklahoma beef producer, is joining Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS) and Senator Tim Sheehy (MT) for a White House meeting to address the severe volatility in the cattle market.
The senators’ main goal is to show the President that while the “meat box price” for consumers is rising, the “hoof price” for producers is dropping, a situation that defies market logic.
“I mean, 500-pound weight steers… are down over $1 a pound right now,” Mullin stated. “That’s a huge hit.”
Mullin argued that the market’s reaction is nonsensical, especially given the historical context.
- Low Supply, Low Prices: Mullin noted that U.S. cattle herds are at their lowest levels since 1953, and that “less on the hoof” is being sold, which, by the principle of supply and demand, should increase prices. Instead, they are dropping.
- Import Impact: He dismissed the idea that the President’s recent import of 80,000 pounds of beef should crash the market, noting U.S. processing capacity is between 680,000 and 700,000 head a week, but is currently only processing 575,000.
- Call for Investigation: Mullin is asking the President to have Pam Bondi and Secretary Rollins investigate the market. “There’s something’s not… something is happening in the market that’s causing this volatility,” he said, suggesting the President has “only been getting one side of it… from the Packers.”
🏛️ Frustration Over Day 38 of Shutdown
Shifting to the government shutdown, Senator Mullin expressed profound frustration, calling the current situation “the most frustrated I’ve ever been in politics.”
A “Broken Deal” According to Mullin, a deal to reopen the government was in place last week. He claimed that 13 Democrats had agreed to vote for a bill that would pass three key appropriation bills—Agriculture (including SNAP), Military Construction (MilCon), and Legislative (paying Capitol Police and staff)—and pass a continuing resolution (CR) for the remainder.
Mullin accused Democrats of scuttling the deal for political gain. “They wanted to get past the election on Tuesday because they were afraid that their base wouldn’t show up to vote if they opened the government up,” he said.
“Leverage” and Political Posturing Following Tuesday’s elections, Mullin claims Democrats felt “emboldened” and “changed their rules,” adding new demands.
“They’re still holding the American people hostage,” Mullin said, stating that multiple Democrats, including Senator Coons (DE), Bernie Sanders (VT), and House Congresswoman Katherine Clark, have referred to the shutdown as a “leverage point.”
“It’s politics to them. It’s not policy-driven,” he added. “Maybe I’m just too much Oklahoma… If you’ve shaken somebody’s hand… you’re going to do it. And this situation we find ourselves in is that they backed out and want to renegotiate.”
The Path Forward and Senate Math Mullin also refuted the public perception that Republicans can end the shutdown on their own. While the GOP controls the House, the Senate requires 60 votes.
“We only have 53 seats,” Mullin explained. With Senator Rand Paul consistently voting “no,” Republicans have 52 “yes” votes. “We had three Democrats voting with us. So we go from 52 to 55. We only need five more Democrats to vote with us, and it would reopen.”
Mullin defended the 60-vote threshold, noting it has been used to block Democratic priorities like “packing the court,” federalizing elections, and D.C. statehood.
The plan, Mullin said, is to put the previously agreed-upon clean CR on the Senate floor. He stressed this is the “exact same CR” that Democrats, including Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden, have “already voted for four other times.”
🤝 “We’re in This Fight Together”
Despite the political frustration, Mullin concluded with a direct message of solidarity for Oklahoma’s agricultural producers, reassuring them that their concerns are being taken to the highest level.
“We’re in this fight together,” Mullin said. “Guys, I know it’s been rough, and we definitely have a president who does care.”
He expressed optimism about his upcoming White House visit, noting, “He’s asked for the meeting. So… I know he wants to hear from us, and hopefully we can see some stability come to the cattle market.”
To watch the whole video, click below:
Note: Senator Mullin has recorded daily, very popular social media videos updating Oklahomans on key information from Washington. His handle is: @SenMullin
