[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 86 (Friday, June 26, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1260-E1261]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 25, 1998

       The House in a Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4101) making 
     appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and 
     Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 1999, and for other 
     purposes.

  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to further clarify my position 
on the Wildlife Services program at the Department of Agriculture. 
Today Mr. Bass and Mr. DeFazio offered an amendment to H.R. 4101 which 
reduces the appropriation for Wildlife Services by $10 million, to 
$28.8 million.
  The intention of the Bass-DeFazio amendment is to prevent Wildlife 
Services from using controversial procedures and inefficient practices 
for killing predators in western states. The activities that have 
occurred in western state have been heavily criticized for their 
indiscriminate killing programs. The program designed to kill coyotes, 
for example, kills many pets and endangered species. Additionally, the 
program has been criticized for its wasteful spending practices in the 
west. In New Mexico, for instance, Wildlife Services spent more than $2 
million to kill predators that had inflicted $167,000 to ranchers. I 
oppose these

[[Page E1261]]

activities and urge the Department of Agriculture to assure that 
Wildlife Services acts responsibly and efficiently.
  I cannot, however, vote for the Bass-DeFazio amendment. Just last 
week in my congressional district, a cow was identified as having 
contracted Bovine TB, a dangerous livestock disease. The cow contracted 
the disease from an infected white-tail deer. There are several deer 
herds in northern Michigan which are identified as Bovine TB-positive 
herds. Wildlife Services has assisted the State in fighting to 
eradicate Bovine TB and is responsible for depopulating some of the 
infected deer herds.
  I appreciate the efforts of Mr. Bass and Mr. DeFazio to change they 
way Wildlife Services does business. This amendment, unfortunately, 
does not clearly state which practices at Wildlife Services should be 
changed or how they should be changed. The language does not protect 
the many exceptional activities performed by Wildlife Services, like 
protection of human health and safety. We may all be able to agree that 
the intention of this amendment is to stop the controversial practices 
in the west, but there is no guarantee that intention will be 
implemented when Wildlife Services receives their FY99 appropriations 
on October 1. While I appreciate the efforts of Mr. Bass and Mr. 
DeFazio, I cannot vote to put each of Wildlife Services activities at 
risk.

                          ____________________