A Valley dairyman turned member of congress introduced his first bill in Washington D.C. Thursday, David Valadao proposed the Federal Milk Marketing Order. It would allow dairymen in California to opt out of the state's milk pricing system and use the federal system instead.
Dairies in the Central Valley have been suffering over the last couple of years. Nearly every weekend dairy-owners are closing down their businesses and auctioning off their cows. Valadao hopes that if passed, his bill will help the industry.
"Everybody signed onto it. The chair of the ag committee likes it, it's bipartisan. We've got democrats on board as well as republicans. I actually do believe we can get this done," said Rep. David Valadao, a republican in the 21st district.
Dairymen in California have been protesting the state ag secretary's milk pricing system for the last year. California's dairy industry in the largest in the country.