[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 50 (Friday, April 6, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3709-S3711]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS--APRIL 5, 2001

      By Mr. HATCH (for himiself, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Durbin, 
        Mr. Daschle, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Dayton, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Dorgan, 
        Mr. Johnson, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, 
        Mr. Grassley, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Bond, Mr. Brownback, Mrs. 
        Feinstein, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Burns, Mr. 
        Craig, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Edwards, Mr. 
        Hollings, Mr. Helms, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Crapo, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. 
        Leahy, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Allard, 
        and Ms. Stabenow):
  S. 708. A bill to provide the citizens of the United States and 
Congress with a report on coordinated actions by Federal agencies to 
prevent the introduction of foot and mouth disease and bovine 
spongiform encephalopathy into the United States and other information 
to assess the economic and public health impacts associated with the 
potential threats presented by those diseases; to the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Animal 
disease Risk Assessment, Prevention, and Control Act of 2001. I want to 
thank my friend and colleague, Senator Tom Harkin, for his partnership 
in developing this bipartisan bill. I also want to recognize Senator 
Campbell's exceptional leadership in bringing to the forefront of 
public discussion the issue of the health of our domestic cattle herds. 
We are joined in cosponsorship by Senators Durbin, Lugar, Daschle, and 
Leahy, as well as over one-third of the Senate in this bipartisan 
effort.
  Our bill makes clear the Congress' commitment to our livestock 
industry and to ensuring our public health. Our goal is to make certain 
that the Congress and the American public are fully informed as to the 
reliability of our nation's animal health inspection system, its 
ability to protect our domestic herds and the American public from the 
potential introduction into the United States of foot and mouth disease 
and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly referred to as mad 
cow disease. The presence of either of these diseases would have 
staggering economic consequences for our country.
  In addition, it is imperative, as this bill directs, that we learn 
more about the possible public health consequences of BSE so that we 
can be confident that our nation continues to successfully prevent any 
potentially negative impacts on human or animal health. Americans from 
Salt Lake city, Iowa City and across the country need to maintain 
confidence that the beef products they purchase and consume are safe.
  The public has no doubt heard the media reports on the recent cases 
in Europe of BSE and the outbreak of FMD, and they have heard about the 
devastating effect these outbreaks have had on the livestock industries 
in that part of the world. With all this media coverage, misconceptions 
have arisen which could make matters worse than the situation merits.
  The public deserves to know the facts surrounding these animal 
diseases, their threat to public health, and their potential means of 
transmission. This is one of the basic goals of our legislation--to 
help overcome the lack of information associated with these diseases. 
However, in the unfortunate event that it becomes necessary to fight 
this disease at home, we must ensure that the government and other 
officials have the necessary tools to move swiftly and completely to 
control these diseases in the United States.
  We have been successful so far in preventing the return of FMD to the 
United States. No case of BSE has ever been identified in the United 
States. This bill is intended to continue that success into the future.
  Here is what the bill does in a nutshell. The legislation lays out a 
series of detailed findings that set forth the current state of 
knowledge with respect to these two diseases. A key provision of the 
bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture to submit two reports to 
Congress. The first report, to be submitted in 30 days of enactment, 
requires the Administration to identify any immediate needs for 
additional legislative authority or funding. The second report, to be 
submitted within 180 days of adoption, requires the submission of a 
comprehensive analysis of the risks of FMD and BSE to American 
livestock and beef products, the potential economic consequences if FMD 
or BSE are found in the United States, and information concerning the 
potential linkage between BSE and variant Cruetzfeldt-Jacab Disease 
(vCJD), a condition affection humans.
  The legislation requires the Secretary of Agriculture to consult with 
the Secretaries of State, Treasury, Defense, Commerce, Health and Human 
Services, the United States Trade Representative, the Director of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other appropriate federal 
personnel when she develops both the reports mandated by this bill. In 
addition, in issuing the comprehensive 180 day report, the Secretary of 
Agriculture must consult with international, State, and local 
government animal health officials, experts in infectious disease 
research, prevention and control, livestock experts, representatives of 
blood collection and distribution entities, and representatives of 
consumer and patient organizations. A chief goal of that report is to 
help devise a coordinated plan to prevent the introduction of FMD and 
BSE into the United States and to help identify the proper corrective 
steps if FMD and BSE find their way into our country.

[[Page S3710]]

  Mr. President, let me take this opportunity to comment upon some 
common myths on this issue. First, the public should know that there is 
no known etiologic relationship between BSE and FMD. While it is true 
that these diseases have occurred in the same region within a shared 
time-frame, the fact is that the two diseases are quite distinct and 
have occurred independently from one another.
  BSE is a transmissible, neuro-degenerative disease in cattle. The 
disease is believed to have an incubation period of years, but once 
active in cattle it can quickly become fatal in a matter of a few 
weeks. It is carried in the brain and spinal cord of the animal, not in 
the meat products normally consumed by humans.
  In a practice banned in the U.S., cattle in Great Britain were fed 
protein products derived from other animal products, which may have 
carried BSE. Scientists believe that this practice led to the spread of 
BSE in Great Britain and Europe. I want to emphasize that the 
importation into the U.S. of grazing animals from BSE-prevalent 
countries has been forbidden since 1997. I also want to point our that 
U.S. law also prohibits the feeding of most animal proteins to grazing 
animals.
  As for foot and mouth disease, it is a highly contagious virus 
affecting cloven hoofed animals, including cattle, swine, sheep, goats, 
deer, and others. Although this disease was eradicated in the U.S. in 
1929, it could be reintroduced by a single infected animal or animal 
product form another country, or by a person or conveyance that carries 
the virus from another country. It can then spread quickly among our 
domestic herds by animal contact or through the aerosol transmission. 
We cannot afford to allow that to happen.
  The disease can be carried by the wind from one animal to another. 
Animals infected by FMD can be cured by injections, however, the 
infected animal will continue to spread the disease during recovery. 
For that reason, the preferred remedy is to slaughter the animal before 
it can spread the disease further. To be safe, the entire herd will 
often be killed even if only one or two animals are found to be 
infected. This is why our bill also contains a provision to determine 
whether adequate compensation would be available under existing 
programs for producers suffering losses from destruction of affected 
herds.
  Mr. President, another concern held by some is that there is a strong 
risk of humans being infected by these diseases, either by eating meat 
or through some other means of transmission.
  Let me first discuss BSE. There are, in fact, human spongiform 
encephalopathies. An example of such a disease is the recently 
discovered variant of Cruetzfeldt-Jacab Disease. Scientists have not 
determined that a definitive causal link exists between BSE and variant 
Cruetzfeldt-Jacob Disease or other spongiform encephalopathies found in 
humans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has 
stated: ``Although there is strong evidence that the agent responsible 
for these human cases is the same agent responsible for the BSE 
outbreaks in cattle, the specific foods that may be associated with the 
transmission of this agent from cattle to humans are unknown.'' 
Scientists are currently studying the issue further and the Animal 
Health Risk Assessment, Prevention, and Control Act of 2001 encourages 
such research.
  While these studies are ongoing, the Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA) has acted to minimize the spread of human spongiform 
encephalopathies in the United States by disqualifying any individual 
who lived in the United Kingdom for more than six months since 1980 
from donating blood while in the U.S.
  With respect to foot and mouth disease, it is principally an animal 
disease and is not thought to be threatening to human health. Humans 
can, however, spread the disease to animals.
  I am concerned that based on the outbreak of these diseases in Europe 
and the potential for spread into the U.S., consumers might question 
the safety and wholesomeness of animal products sold in this country. 
Because of our vigilance in the past our nation has a very safe and 
wholesome meat supply, and we should be proud of that. In fact, other 
nations have been seeking out American meat products, because they know 
that our animals health system is strong and has successfully kept 
these diseases out of our domestic livestock herds.

  Mr. President, the Animal Health Risk Assessment, Prevention, and 
Control Act of 2001, will help the United States to maintain the safety 
of our food supply and will help our nation to evaluate the sufficiency 
of the steps taken, or planned, to protect our citizens from any 
potential untoward impacts if these animal diseases enter into the 
United States.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, today I am pleased to join Senator Hatch 
and thirty-seven other Senators in introducing the Animal Disease Risk 
Assessment, Prevention, and Control Act of 2001. This legislation helps 
make sure that our country is on a solid footing to protect our 
country's public and economy from the astounding losses that could come 
from an animal disease such as Food and Mouth Disease, FMD, or Bovine 
Spongiform Encephalopathy, BSE, arriving on our shores.
  As we know all too well from observing the experience of the EU, 
either of these diseases could potentially wreak tens of billions of 
dollars in lost livestock and markets if they were ever found in the 
U.S. BSE, with its suspected linkages to New Variant Creutzfeld-Jacob 
Disease, could cause some Americans to suffer its cruel, fatal effects.
  Fortunately, we have an animal and public health system that has 
successfully prevented either of these diseases from entering our 
country. This is testimony to the men and women who work each day to 
protect our nation from foreign animal diseases. But the price of this 
success is unremitting vigilance. We must ensure there are no gaps in 
our defenses. The sheer volume of travel and commerce between the 
United States and the European Union is placing unprecedented strain on 
our animals health system.
  This legislation will give Congress a clearer picture of where the 
potential risks to animal and human health may lie, and what must be 
done to prevent them. It will provide Congress and the public with a 
blueprint for what is currently being done, and what must be done in 
the future.
  The health of our animals is inextricably linked with the health of 
our populace and economy. It is crucial to continuing to provide a 
safe, abundant supply of food. I hope this legislation will be passed 
quickly, to send a clear message that Congress stands ready to do what 
it takes to ensure that our success in protecting our shores from FMD 
and BSE remains unbroken.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease, 
FMD, and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, BSE, among some of our 
closest trading partners is cause for heightened attention to our 
ability to prevent the spread of these diseases to the United States. 
Although the U.S. has not had an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease 
since 1929, and has had no known cases of BSE, their recent spread in 
Europe and other countries has raised serious concerns domestically. 
Given the extremely contagious nature of FMD, an outbreak in the U.S. 
could be catastrophic to the domestic farm economy, and would have 
serious ramifications for other economic sectors as well. BSE is not as 
contagious as FMD, but it causes a disease in humans that is fatal. 
Overall, BSE is much less well understood than FMD, which is itself a 
risk factor.
  I appreciate the significant work of USDA and other agencies to 
control the threat that FMD and BSE may pose to human health, in the 
case of BSE, and the health of domestic livestock and wildlife. 
However, we must do more, and we must do it quickly. I believe that the 
Administration's efforts would benefit from greater coordination among 
federal agencies, and increased attention to the availability of public 
information. Additionally, Congress needs data relevant to the 
development of longer-term disease prevention and management 
strategies, and guidance as to whether the Administration will require 
increased statutory or funding to respond to this situation 
appropriately and expeditiously.
  In an effort to contain the spread of FMD, South Dakota has 
instituted restrictions on individuals traveling from

[[Page S3711]]

countries with confirmed cases. However, American embassies in the 
European Union, and possibly other countries, are not aware of these 
restrictions related to its containment. Additionally, airport and 
airline personnel appear to be inadequately informed about the need for 
travelers re-entering this country to take appropriate measures to 
avoid introducing the disease to U.S. livestock or wildlife.
  A constituent of mine recently reported that a visitor coming to 
South Dakota from France contacted the American Embassy there to 
inquire about potential restrictions prior to his trip, but was told 
they knew of none. In fact, the state of South Dakota has banned visits 
to farms, sale barns and a list of other facilities for five days prior 
to travel, and contact with livestock or wildlife for five days after 
arrival in the U.S. In another incident, two producers who were part of 
a tour group returning from Ireland through Chicago O'Hare 
International Airport independently sought out disinfectant for their 
shoes and other belongs before returning to the state, after realizing 
that no airport or airline personnel were requiring travelers to take 
any such precautions.
  This week I have worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle 
to draft a bill to address these needs. Today, I join Senators Harkin 
and Hatch, and over 40 of our colleagues, to introduce The Animal 
Disease Risk Assessment Prevention and Control Act of 2001. The bill 
would require USDA, in consultation with other relevant federal 
agencies, to submit what I think will be very valuable information to 
Congress, in the shortest time feasible.
  First, the bill would require USDA to provide information about the 
Administration's FMD and BSE prevention and control plan, including: 1. 
how federal agencies are coordinating their activities on FMD and BSE; 
2. how federal agencies are communicating information on FMD and BSE to 
the public; and 3. whether the Administration needs additional 
legislative authority or funding to most appropriately manage the 
threat that FMD, BSE, or related diseases may pose to human health, 
livestock, or wildlife.
  Second, the bill would require USDA to provide information relevant 
to a longer-term disease prevention and management strategy for 
reducing risks in the future, including: 1. The economic impacts 
associated with the potential introduction of FMD, BSE, or related 
diseases into the United States; 2. The potential risks to public and 
animal health from FMD, BSE, and related diseases; and 3. 
recommendations to protect the health of our animal herds and our 
citizens from these risks, including, if necessary, recommendation for 
additional legislative authority or funding.
  One of the most important steps we can take to prevent the 
introduction of FMD and BSE to the U.S. is also one of the simplest: 
improved access to information. In addition to the actions USDA, FDA 
and other agencies are taking to control the diseases, it is imperative 
that the State Department, the Department of Treasury, the Department 
of Transportation, the Department of Defense, and other agencies act 
immediately to provide the best possible information to travelers, the 
military, and others, including news of sanitation, travel 
restrictions, and other precautions.
  Again, I commend the actions USDA and other agencies to prevent the 
incidence of these diseases abroad from creating a crisis in the U.S. I 
think we all appreciate the sensitivity of this issue, and that no one 
gains from exaggerating or misrepresenting potential risks in a 
situation such as this. Neither would the U.S. benefit in the long run 
by limiting trade with other countries for reasons other than those 
that are purely health and safety-related, and can be scientifically 
substantiated. At the same time, we have every right to protect the 
health of our domestic livestock industry in a pro-active and 
comprehensive manner. To that end, I look forward to passing this 
legislation quickly, so we can ensure that the Administration has the 
information and resources it needs to respond to this situation and to 
ensure that the public is fully aware of the steps being taken on their 
behalf.

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