Four Senators Support Cattlemen

February 5, 2007

A bipartisan group of Senators including Enzi (R-WY), Dorgan (D-ND), Thune (R-SD), and Bingaman (D-NM) has written a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns raising objections to the USDA proposal to further relax its import restrictions on cattle and beef from Canada.

Two years ago when the USDA first proposed allowing cattle imports from Canada after the discovery of BSE in a native cow in 2003, the Senate passed a resolution of disapproval on the rule. That measure failed in the House.

We support these four Senators and their efforts to quash the USDA's proposed rule. It seems that the USDA is more concerned about international trade than it is about the health and value of the American livestock industry. If the USDA's new rule is proposed, the US will have the least restrictive BSE import restriction of any country in the world. Our claim to have the best beef in the world may require a footnote explaining that only applies to beef born and raised in the USA and does not necessarily apply to all the beef available at the meat counter.

Hopefully the USDA will listen to these four who represent areas with a significant ranching economy. As the Senators said in their letter that our ranchers don't need any further complications after suffering from drought, severe winter weather, and much higher feed prices.

We will continue our efforts to hold the USDA accountable to its mission of protecting the health and value of American agriculture and we appreciate very much the stand these four Senators have taken to do the same thing.