April 7, 2025 • 12 mins
On our special show this week, we present Washington DC’s top Lobbyist, Marty Irby joining us with an update on his DC activities. Capitol Hill has named Marty a DC the top lobbyist for the past 4 out of the last 5 years. Today, he discusses with Freddie and Trade, his efforts on fighting the EATS Act, along with the congressional offices he works with and his ideas and thoughts of passing the Save America's Forgotten Equines Act (SAFE Act, HR 1661, & S. 775). Don’t miss this important broadcast.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
The Harness Racing Alumni Show with your host Freddie Hudson
and Trade Martin. I'm Freddie Hudson and I'm here today
on this special broadcast with Trade Martin. Joining us is
Washington DC top lobbyist Marty Irbi Marty, Welcome to the
Harness Racing Alumni Show.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Well, it's great to be here with you as always,
Fred and appreciate you guys. You do such a great job.
Thanks for having me again.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
It's our pleasure. Marty.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
You have been named one of Capitol Hills top lobbyists
now four of the five last years.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
What's your secret to success?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Well, I would say proximity and persistence. You just got
to be close to the heart of everything and work
harder than everybody else. And people are lazy in Washington, DC.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Now. Also, I met with you last week and we
had breakfast together. You're doing a lot of lobbying work
right now out on the EATS Act. Can you source
on that?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I am, Well, we're lobbying against the Eats Act. It's
a terrible piece of legislation that was introduced in the
last Congress by Senator Roger Marshall from Kansas and Congresswoman
Ashley Henson from Iowa. Unfortunately, too Republicans that are leading
the legislation. It would decimate over one thousand state laws
(01:24):
across the country. Even Harvard did a study on it,
laws even like the laws in Kentucky that make Kentucky
Bourbon Bourbon. What it does is it seeks to federalized
agriculture and nullified state agriculture laws. And it's basically being
pushed and backed by Smithfield and the National Pork Producers
councilor Smithfield is basically owned and controlled by the Chinese.
(01:49):
It was purchased in twenty thirteen with a loan from
the Chinese Communist Party. Interestingly enough, so most people don't
realize when they're buying Smithfield in the store, they're actually
basically sending more money to China. And what they're trying
to do is take over pork production in the US.
And they're trying to nullify some state laws, particularly in
California and Massachusetts, that just require that pork be sold
(02:13):
only whole cuts of port be sold there and they
could not have been raised in a gustation great the
animal would have had to have had room to stand
up and turn around. That's all, so we're really fighting
hard and looking for people out there who are willing
to join the cause and help out. It's coming back
strong in this Congress. Unfortunately, the House Agriculture Committee Chairman
(02:38):
Glenn Thompson, he's also in support of the EATS Act.
But we got some great folks out there against it,
like General Mike Flynn, John Rich who's won half a
big and Rich the country music group Save a Horse,
Ride a Cowboy that song. We've also got a bunch
of conservative leaders Moms for America, they're very much against
the EATS Act, and we had the Congresswoman Anna Paulina,
(03:00):
who's from Florida, amazing lady here in Congress, along with
Nancy Mace and several others Andrew Garbarino and David Valideto
who have been leading the effort in the House against
the legislation. It's something that's really important to most of
the animal advocates out there because it also applies to
many of the state animal welfare laws, and so we're
(03:21):
really working hard to defeat it and make sure that
we absolutely do everything possible we can this Congress to
prevent it from getting signed into law, even if it
means killing the whole farm bills. That's what we got
to do. That's what we got to do to make
sure this legislation does not pass.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
How far away is that farm build from being approved
or being passed.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Well, they've extended the deadline to the end of September
of this year. A lot of people are speculating that
it probably won't get done by then, but that it
will likely get done by the end of this year
in twenty twenty five, so they'll have to probably extend
it another three months. It'll probably end up in some
year in package or something like that. But they're way
(04:03):
behind the eight ball. The farm Built only comes up
every five years, and so we've already got a one
year extension on it right now. And there's a lot
of uncertainty in the marketplace and a lot of uncertainty
out there with farmers across America because of a lack
of a Farmville. But people like Glynn Thompson and others
keep trying to put in these terrible policies and they're
(04:23):
shooting themselves in the foot literally, especially with only a
two or three vote margin in the House right now.
But we feel good about it. It's just going to
take a lot of ammunition to make sure this thing
gets defeated.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
Un moddy. How much land does the Chinese own right now?
Approximately how farm land?
Speaker 2 (04:47):
I don't know how much land they own. They do
own a lot, and I think they control or own
something like twenty to thirty percent of all of the
hogs in the United States of America today. But they're
actually good and everything they can to buy a plane
right and left because they've already destroyed most of their
land and they want to go on the tires and
use ours to basically raise crops, raise pork and things
(05:10):
like that they can ship back to China.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
May see, but they they won't let us buy land
in China. Definite were available.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Right, Yeah, it's really something. I didn't know that, but
I've heard that around.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Now the other the other thing I was going to
talk about, Marty, the Save American Forgotten Equines Act is
now I guess they're trying.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
We're trying to get that incorporated into the farm bill
and with the.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Dogs and cats the bill there where basically you cannot
slaughter dogs or cats, and we're trying to add the
word equines to that, which was your idea about three
years ago.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Well, people wouldn't listen to me, but you did other
smart folks. Yeah, we asked. We actually passed the Dog
and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act in the twenty eighteen
Farm Belt. It was signed in a lot with six
and a half years or something like that. Now it's
been signing a lot and it seems very simple that
we just go in and change one word to make
horses a part of that. I think initially groups like
(06:17):
the SPCA and the Humane Society didn't like it because
it wasn't their idea, and they tend to be very
territorial for whatever reason and don't get very much passed
actually in the way of legislation that actually helps animals.
But a lot of other folks out there are the
advocates and the people who've come together in the equine
community like yourself, Horse plus Humane Society. I know they've
(06:39):
done a lot of work, and other groups all across
the country have really been working. The Jockey Club specifically,
as we've talked about many times, to end horse daughder
in America. And I think there's a great coalition out
there that's really pressing hard and with the numbers dropping
like they are. There's not that much of an impact
on any kind of meat market today, so hopefully there'll
(06:59):
be someone out there who can lead to charge and
get the job done.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Well, you had some ideas out there, did you want
to share them at all?
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Well, I just think that folks need to come together
and really work to be able to get that specific
language and acted that actually just inserts that one word
in to stop horse sowder, and hopefully the coalition who
has been there in the past, along with newcomers will
join in together and start singing in harmony. And I
think this is really about people coming together and people
(07:29):
realizing that, you know, horses are a symbol of America.
It's not something that should be taken lightly. And America
was built on the backs of these horses. It's not
just show horses or race horses. It's how the country
was formed and made and then very special like the
bald eagle, if you will, and bald eagles, I believe,
are protected and I think we should at the very
(07:50):
least not send horses to kill buyers to be spoddered
for meat to eat.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Yeah, now I'm going to change the subject a little bit.
You were down in Florida at mar Largo. What was
that like?
Speaker 2 (08:05):
I was. I've been many times in the past, actually
years ago. I used to live in Palm Beach, but
have a good event down there, a fundraiser event about
ten days or so ago, and we had some great
talks with folks. It's always fun. President Trump wasn't there
that day, the last time I was there, last saw
he was there though, and that was just after the election.
(08:27):
But it's always an interesting place. You meet some very
unique individuals. There's a lot of horse people there actually
that love horses. And actually the fundraiser was for a
rescue animal rescue called Furry Friends and mostly dogs and
cats is what they do. But most people don't realize
there are actually a lot of animal protection fundraisers at
Marlago and a lot of folks there in that area
(08:48):
that care about the cause.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Another thing like a lot of people don't realize this.
For the animal protection rules. President Trump is the president
too pro he signed the most, didn't he I think
he signed six or seven?
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Where is that correct?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
He's signed more animal protection law builds into law than
any president and recorded history. And you know the heights
of horse racing Integrity and Safety Act, of course, was
one of those. I think it was seven. It's six
or seven. It's debatable because I think one was like
a rider called the Puffers Act. But he signed a
bunch into law, and I hope we see more of that,
(09:25):
uh during the second term, because Joe Biden didn't really
do much to help animals at all in my opinion.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
And now here trade laughing over yours.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
He didn't do much about anything. I'll tell you that, Marty.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
But that is VP Joe. That's all he did as leap.
He didn't do anything else.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Okay, Okay, So Marty, what's next for you? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Now, how how is your office grown? I mean, like
you started your Robbie firm what two years ago?
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Now uttle shy of two years? But it's going really great.
We've got four people now, and you met Danielle that
works with me. She's terrific. She worked for five congressional offices.
And then we've got one part time person in California
and one part time person in Tennessee as well. And
(10:18):
we do some of that remotely with the lobbying actually
here in DC on Capitol Hill and the primary issues
we're working on right now are of course the EATS Act.
I'm also working on some issues related to autism to
get some funding back in my home state of Alabama.
And then we've got a couple of other things we're
working on in the AI space as well. So it's
been nice to venture out and be able to spend
(10:40):
more of my time in the animal well first space,
just kind of as a hobby.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Now, you are working with some congressional offices very closely.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Could you share that which offices you're working with? Yeah,
we all.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
We do a lot of work with Senator Ram Paul's office,
of course, Anna Paulina Luna, Nancy Mace that I mentioned early,
Elise Dephonics who's in Congress. Unfortunately I was hoping she
would go to the United Nations, but they've made some
changes in the plans there in the past week or so.
We also do a lot with Senator Tuberville, the coach
Tuberville who was the head coach of Auburn University in
(11:16):
my home state of Alabama. And then we have been
working with a lot of the new House freshmen and
Senate refreshmen that have come into office recently. Most of
our meetings in the past couple of months have been
with those new guys that have come into office.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Okay, trade, did you want to jump in here?
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Yeah, you don't do anything with timp On Tim huh.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Money, No, No, we don't go anywhere near that guy.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
You know.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
I wrote a story where he's back by the Chinese there.
They fund him in Minnesota. They have a big, big
place there that they work at him, and he's always
with the Chinese people and everything. I think he's going
to open up a Chinese take out place.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
That'd be a good job for him.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Yeah, that's what he should do, delivery by balloons.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
With that, I'm going to close the show out, mart Martin,
thank you so much for taking your valuable time to
join us today.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Now, thank you Fred, and thank you guys. Appreciate you
and all that you guys do out there and the
show in general.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
To our audience, thanks for listening, and please join us
again next week The Honest Racing Alumni Show
The Harness Racing Alumni Show with your host Freddie Hudson
and Trade Martin. I'm Freddie Hudson and I'm here today
on this special broadcast with Trade Martin. Joining us is
Washington DC top lobbyist Marty Irbi Marty, Welcome to the
Harness Racing Alumni Show.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Well, it's great to be here with you as always,
Fred and appreciate you guys. You do such a great job.
Thanks for having me again.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
It's our pleasure. Marty.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
You have been named one of Capitol Hills top lobbyists
now four of the five last years.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
What's your secret to success?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Well, I would say proximity and persistence. You just got
to be close to the heart of everything and work
harder than everybody else. And people are lazy in Washington, DC.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Now. Also, I met with you last week and we
had breakfast together. You're doing a lot of lobbying work
right now out on the EATS Act. Can you source
on that?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I am, Well, we're lobbying against the Eats Act. It's
a terrible piece of legislation that was introduced in the
last Congress by Senator Roger Marshall from Kansas and Congresswoman
Ashley Henson from Iowa. Unfortunately, too Republicans that are leading
the legislation. It would decimate over one thousand state laws
(01:24):
across the country. Even Harvard did a study on it,
laws even like the laws in Kentucky that make Kentucky
Bourbon Bourbon. What it does is it seeks to federalized
agriculture and nullified state agriculture laws. And it's basically being
pushed and backed by Smithfield and the National Pork Producers
councilor Smithfield is basically owned and controlled by the Chinese.
(01:49):
It was purchased in twenty thirteen with a loan from
the Chinese Communist Party. Interestingly enough, so most people don't
realize when they're buying Smithfield in the store, they're actually
basically sending more money to China. And what they're trying
to do is take over pork production in the US.
And they're trying to nullify some state laws, particularly in
California and Massachusetts, that just require that pork be sold
(02:13):
only whole cuts of port be sold there and they
could not have been raised in a gustation great the
animal would have had to have had room to stand
up and turn around. That's all, so we're really fighting
hard and looking for people out there who are willing
to join the cause and help out. It's coming back
strong in this Congress. Unfortunately, the House Agriculture Committee Chairman
(02:38):
Glenn Thompson, he's also in support of the EATS Act.
But we got some great folks out there against it,
like General Mike Flynn, John Rich who's won half a
big and Rich the country music group Save a Horse,
Ride a Cowboy that song. We've also got a bunch
of conservative leaders Moms for America, they're very much against
the EATS Act, and we had the Congresswoman Anna Paulina,
(03:00):
who's from Florida, amazing lady here in Congress, along with
Nancy Mace and several others Andrew Garbarino and David Valideto
who have been leading the effort in the House against
the legislation. It's something that's really important to most of
the animal advocates out there because it also applies to
many of the state animal welfare laws, and so we're
(03:21):
really working hard to defeat it and make sure that
we absolutely do everything possible we can this Congress to
prevent it from getting signed into law, even if it
means killing the whole farm bills. That's what we got
to do. That's what we got to do to make
sure this legislation does not pass.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
How far away is that farm build from being approved
or being passed.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Well, they've extended the deadline to the end of September
of this year. A lot of people are speculating that
it probably won't get done by then, but that it
will likely get done by the end of this year
in twenty twenty five, so they'll have to probably extend
it another three months. It'll probably end up in some
year in package or something like that. But they're way
(04:03):
behind the eight ball. The farm Built only comes up
every five years, and so we've already got a one
year extension on it right now. And there's a lot
of uncertainty in the marketplace and a lot of uncertainty
out there with farmers across America because of a lack
of a Farmville. But people like Glynn Thompson and others
keep trying to put in these terrible policies and they're
(04:23):
shooting themselves in the foot literally, especially with only a
two or three vote margin in the House right now.
But we feel good about it. It's just going to
take a lot of ammunition to make sure this thing
gets defeated.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
Un moddy. How much land does the Chinese own right now?
Approximately how farm land?
Speaker 2 (04:47):
I don't know how much land they own. They do
own a lot, and I think they control or own
something like twenty to thirty percent of all of the
hogs in the United States of America today. But they're
actually good and everything they can to buy a plane
right and left because they've already destroyed most of their
land and they want to go on the tires and
use ours to basically raise crops, raise pork and things
(05:10):
like that they can ship back to China.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
May see, but they they won't let us buy land
in China. Definite were available.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Right, Yeah, it's really something. I didn't know that, but
I've heard that around.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Now the other the other thing I was going to
talk about, Marty, the Save American Forgotten Equines Act is
now I guess they're trying.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
We're trying to get that incorporated into the farm bill
and with the.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Dogs and cats the bill there where basically you cannot
slaughter dogs or cats, and we're trying to add the
word equines to that, which was your idea about three
years ago.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Well, people wouldn't listen to me, but you did other
smart folks. Yeah, we asked. We actually passed the Dog
and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act in the twenty eighteen
Farm Belt. It was signed in a lot with six
and a half years or something like that. Now it's
been signing a lot and it seems very simple that
we just go in and change one word to make
horses a part of that. I think initially groups like
(06:17):
the SPCA and the Humane Society didn't like it because
it wasn't their idea, and they tend to be very
territorial for whatever reason and don't get very much passed
actually in the way of legislation that actually helps animals.
But a lot of other folks out there are the
advocates and the people who've come together in the equine
community like yourself, Horse plus Humane Society. I know they've
(06:39):
done a lot of work, and other groups all across
the country have really been working. The Jockey Club specifically,
as we've talked about many times, to end horse daughder
in America. And I think there's a great coalition out
there that's really pressing hard and with the numbers dropping
like they are. There's not that much of an impact
on any kind of meat market today, so hopefully there'll
(06:59):
be someone out there who can lead to charge and
get the job done.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Well, you had some ideas out there, did you want
to share them at all?
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Well, I just think that folks need to come together
and really work to be able to get that specific
language and acted that actually just inserts that one word
in to stop horse sowder, and hopefully the coalition who
has been there in the past, along with newcomers will
join in together and start singing in harmony. And I
think this is really about people coming together and people
(07:29):
realizing that, you know, horses are a symbol of America.
It's not something that should be taken lightly. And America
was built on the backs of these horses. It's not
just show horses or race horses. It's how the country
was formed and made and then very special like the
bald eagle, if you will, and bald eagles, I believe,
are protected and I think we should at the very
(07:50):
least not send horses to kill buyers to be spoddered
for meat to eat.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Yeah, now I'm going to change the subject a little bit.
You were down in Florida at mar Largo. What was
that like?
Speaker 2 (08:05):
I was. I've been many times in the past, actually
years ago. I used to live in Palm Beach, but
have a good event down there, a fundraiser event about
ten days or so ago, and we had some great
talks with folks. It's always fun. President Trump wasn't there
that day, the last time I was there, last saw
he was there though, and that was just after the election.
(08:27):
But it's always an interesting place. You meet some very
unique individuals. There's a lot of horse people there actually
that love horses. And actually the fundraiser was for a
rescue animal rescue called Furry Friends and mostly dogs and
cats is what they do. But most people don't realize
there are actually a lot of animal protection fundraisers at
Marlago and a lot of folks there in that area
(08:48):
that care about the cause.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Another thing like a lot of people don't realize this.
For the animal protection rules. President Trump is the president
too pro he signed the most, didn't he I think
he signed six or seven?
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Where is that correct?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
He's signed more animal protection law builds into law than
any president and recorded history. And you know the heights
of horse racing Integrity and Safety Act, of course, was
one of those. I think it was seven. It's six
or seven. It's debatable because I think one was like
a rider called the Puffers Act. But he signed a
bunch into law, and I hope we see more of that,
(09:25):
uh during the second term, because Joe Biden didn't really
do much to help animals at all in my opinion.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
And now here trade laughing over yours.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
He didn't do much about anything. I'll tell you that, Marty.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
But that is VP Joe. That's all he did as leap.
He didn't do anything else.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Okay, Okay, So Marty, what's next for you? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Now, how how is your office grown? I mean, like
you started your Robbie firm what two years ago?
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Now uttle shy of two years? But it's going really great.
We've got four people now, and you met Danielle that
works with me. She's terrific. She worked for five congressional offices.
And then we've got one part time person in California
and one part time person in Tennessee as well. And
(10:18):
we do some of that remotely with the lobbying actually
here in DC on Capitol Hill and the primary issues
we're working on right now are of course the EATS Act.
I'm also working on some issues related to autism to
get some funding back in my home state of Alabama.
And then we've got a couple of other things we're
working on in the AI space as well. So it's
been nice to venture out and be able to spend
(10:40):
more of my time in the animal well first space,
just kind of as a hobby.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Now, you are working with some congressional offices very closely.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Could you share that which offices you're working with? Yeah,
we all.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
We do a lot of work with Senator Ram Paul's office,
of course, Anna Paulina Luna, Nancy Mace that I mentioned early,
Elise Dephonics who's in Congress. Unfortunately I was hoping she
would go to the United Nations, but they've made some
changes in the plans there in the past week or so.
We also do a lot with Senator Tuberville, the coach
Tuberville who was the head coach of Auburn University in
(11:16):
my home state of Alabama. And then we have been
working with a lot of the new House freshmen and
Senate refreshmen that have come into office recently. Most of
our meetings in the past couple of months have been
with those new guys that have come into office.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Okay, trade, did you want to jump in here?
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Yeah, you don't do anything with timp On Tim huh.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Money, No, No, we don't go anywhere near that guy.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
You know.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
I wrote a story where he's back by the Chinese there.
They fund him in Minnesota. They have a big, big
place there that they work at him, and he's always
with the Chinese people and everything. I think he's going
to open up a Chinese take out place.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
That'd be a good job for him.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Yeah, that's what he should do, delivery by balloons.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
With that, I'm going to close the show out, mart Martin,
thank you so much for taking your valuable time to
join us today.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Now, thank you Fred, and thank you guys. Appreciate you
and all that you guys do out there and the
show in general.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
To our audience, thanks for listening, and please join us
again next week The Honest Racing Alumni Show
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