[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 136 (Tuesday, September 30, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H8956]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               DOWNED ANIMALS POSE THREAT TO FOOD SUPPLY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 7, 2003, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, to make our communities livable, to make 
our families safe, healthy and economically secure, we must deal with 
the issues of food safety. 76 million Americans are ill every year from 
unsafe food, 325,000 are hospitalized, 5,000 die.
  A century ago, Upton Sinclair's epic novel ``The Jungle'' exposed the 
scandal in America's meatpacking industry; and yet a century later, we 
still do not have it right.
  Despite telling journalism and concerns from experts in food safety 
and animal welfare, the cattle industry and some of their key 
Congressional allies fight to continue allowing almost 200,000 
unhealthy animals a year into our food supply. These animals are called 
``downers'' because they are so sick they are unable to stand or walk. 
They are dragged to slaughter facilities around the country, and most 
of these sick animals end up in our food supply.
  What difference does it make? Downed animals are often afflicted with 
many, sometimes fatal, illnesses. Sending these sick animals to 
slaughter facilities where they will mix with healthy animals is 
exceedingly dangerous.
  Many afflicted animals that should have been euthanized at the farm 
were sent to auction markets and slaughter facilities where they could 
contaminate healthy animals.
  A study of USDA slaughterhouse facilities in almost 1,000 packing 
plants in the northeast United States found that 73 percent of downed 
animals ended up passing inspection and entering the food chain. These 
animals had afflictions such as gangrene, lymphoma, hepatitis, and 
pneumonia.
  A study by the Livestock Conservation Institute revealed that 14 
percent of the downed cows were salmonella positive. One cow even 
tested positive for a variant of salmonella that kills almost 1,000 
Americans each year. This animal passed inspection and entered the food 
supply.
  Another area of concern is mad cow disease, not just because of the 
dangers to humans, but because of the devastating effect that it can 
have on the cattle industry itself. Recently, a single infected animal 
in Canada shut down their entire industry. Perhaps the reason we have 
not found mad cow disease in the United States is because the American 
consumer is eating the evidence.
  The Federal Government has started to react. The USDA recently added 
regulations, which Congress would not, to protect the ground beef that 
goes into school lunches from containing meat from downed animals.
  Earlier this year, the USDA began circulating a proposed rule that 
specifically notes the health hazard for downed animals for consumers. 
Some fast-food leaders like Jack in the Box, and Burger King and 
Wendy's have responded to past tragic incidents by raising their 
standards.
  But Congress has not just been ``missing in action'' to protect the 
American consumer from tainted beef; some have actually been leading 
the charge to keep those animals on your table. Some people put the 
convenience and profit of the cattle industry ahead of public safety.
  Last year's agricultural bill passed both bodies of Congress with 
language to keep the downed animals out, yet in conference the 
conferees stripped away the language. They led a battle in this year's 
agriculture appropriations bill against an amendment that would have 
kept downed animals out of the food supply.
  This is serious business. All independent experts know that downed 
animals are dangerous. Responsible producers understand the problem. 
Some State regulators have stepped up to deal with protecting their 
facilities. They are sending the right message, but they only deal with 
a small part of the overall food chain.
  Congress and the Federal Government must act. The downed animals end 
up as hamburger in America's grocery stores because they are processed 
in just a few huge centers where the animals are ground up, they 
disappear into the food chain. The same child that is now safer in 
school goes home to the family dinner table, where the entire family is 
at risk.
  It is time for Congress to withstand the pressures of the huge 
packers and their apologists and allies in Congress. Until the 
agriculture appropriations bill has finally passed both Chambers, it is 
possible for the conferees to include provisions protecting the food 
supply, provisions, as I said, that have passed both Chambers last 
Congress.
  Every single Member of Congress should sign on the critical 
bipartisan legislation led by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Smith), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Houghton), the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Ackerman), and the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) 
that would prohibit downed animals from entering the food supply. This 
legislation already has the support of 119 Democrats and Republicans in 
Congress.
  It is supported by people who care about animal welfare, food safety, 
to join with the State health officials and responsible members of the 
cattle industry. All these people know that our Nation needs to produce 
meat in a humane and safe manner. Continuing to process downed animals 
for human consumption is not part of the recipe.

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