(Washington, D.C.) – Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) President Thomas A. Schatz issued the following statement today condemning a U.S. District Court ruling that will increase milk prices in six New England states:

“On behalf of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, I want to express my deep disappointment in U.S. District Court Judge Paul Friedman’s decision allowing the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact to move forward and significantly raise the price of milk in six New England states.

“Unfortunately, Judge Friedman fell for Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman’s flimsy argument that the compact serves a compelling public interest.  Secretary Glickman argued, and the judge concurred, that higher milk prices would increase the profitability of dairy farming in the region and reduce financial pressure on small dairy farmers.  Both the Secretary and the judge found that this alone provided justification for allowing the compact to move forward.

“First the Secretary, and now Judge Friedman, have demonstrated their complete contempt for the interests of other citizens in the region, particularly the consumers and taxpayers who will be forced to pay as much as 36 cents more for every gallon of milk.  Earlier this year, over 5,000 CCAGW members from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut petitioned the Secretary of Agriculture to forego the implementation of this $120 million annual tax on consumers.

“Despite this short-sighted ruling, CCAGW intends to continue fighting for the interests of New England’s taxpayers and consumers.  We will actively support legislation to allow states to withdraw from participation in the compact, and work to prevent the spread of these insidious and expensive special interest schemes beyond the Northeast.”

CCAGW is a 600,000-member lobbying group dedicated to enacting legislation to eliminate waste, inefficiency and mismanagement in the federal government.