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Steve Forbes: Schumer's Beef Industry Bill Targets Wrong Cause as U.S. Cattle Herd Hits 75-Year Low

7/6/2026

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's proposed "Family Grocer and Farmer Relief Act" would restructure the U.S.

beef industry even as the national cattle herd stands at its lowest point in 75 years, Steve Forbes argues in a new opinion piece, calling the legislation a misdiagnosis of a supply-driven price problem that Washington cannot legislate its way out of.

Cattle Supply, Not Corporate Conspiracy, Drives Prices The U.S. Department of Agriculture puts total cattle and calves at 86.2 million head as of Jan. 1, 2026, down from 94.8 million head on Jan.

1, 2019 — a drop of roughly 9% in seven years. The 2025 calf crop came in at a record-low 32.9 million head, the second consecutive year a new record low was set.