The Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund has filed suit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture alleging the agency’s Beef Checkoff tax is being unconstitutionally used to promote international beef. R-CALF CEO Bill Bullard says the legal action was filed Monday in District Court in Montana.

He says the beef checkoff is keeping consumers from seeking out U.S. beef and instead is being used to convince them that domestic beef is not different than beef produced abroad. He says this is harming America’s beef producers.

Bullard says R-CALF wants the court to issue an injunction to stop the collection of the beef checkoff dollars.

Bullard says their litigation is not only a battle to protect the constitutional rights of cattle producers, but also to ensure the U.S. food supply is not constrained by multi-national corporations.