[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 18 (Thursday, February 17, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S1591]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DECISION

  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I rise today to join some of my friends on 
both sides of the aisle to talk about and to do something about taking 
action regarding the Department of Agriculture's decision to open the 
border to Canadian beef on March 7.
  I have been vocal about this for some time. We have been negotiating 
with the powers that be in trying to improve this controversial 
regulation.
  First, I congratulate and appreciate Secretary Johanns of the 
Department of Agriculture for his candid responses on this issue and 
for his timely decision to limit beef to cattle slaughtered at under 30 
months. That action took care of most of the concerns I had with 
reopening the border since the outbreak of BSE in May of 2003.
  We have all been trying to find answers to this situation, but my 
producers still have some serious concerns about Canada's compliance 
with the feed ban and the firewalls that have been put in place up 
there. There has been a team representing the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture in Canada looking at this situation. The feed ban 
compliance appears to be the best way to reduce outbreaks of BSE, so it 
is a critical component of our negotiations and it is a critical 
component of what actions we take from here on.
  Compliance with that feed ban must be consistent, but they also must 
be long term. Because BSE, or mad cow, can lay dormant in a cow for 
such a long period of time, feed ban violations from years ago can 
still be a problem today. Thus, the 30-month rule. Products from 
animals or live animals older than 30 months was taken from the rule. 
We had to work very hard to do that, and I know it took great 
leadership on the part of the Secretary of Agriculture to change that 
part of the rule.
  Now the technical team we had in Canada is back in the United States. 
Unfortunately, we will not get their report for another week. Congress 
will be on break. So very few of us will be able to get hold of that 
report, analyze it, and make a judgment on how we should handle a rule 
that goes into effect on March 7. It leaves us very little time. Thus, 
the resolution that will come before this Congress puts a hold on the 
rule and gives Congress some time to operate. We just cannot afford to 
allow this situation to move any further with the information that we 
have now. If the USDA will not delay the implementation of this rule 
and allow Congress to consider its findings, then I am left with no 
other choice but to support the disapproval resolution.

  Again, I thank the Secretary for doing what he did. That took care of 
a lot of the concerns about the rule. The decision is critical for our 
cattlemen, and the Secretary showed tremendous leadership in taking 
that action so quickly.
  It is also important to the entire cattle industry and it is 
important to consumers to have confidence in one of the safest products 
they find in their grocery store. We know the border will be open at 
some point, but what we do and the steps we take are very important, 
both to our friends in Canada and to our consumers and producers in the 
United States.
  If this rule should go into effect and we have another situation, I 
am afraid of the erosion that could take place in my industry. So I 
urge my colleagues to support this resolution, not as a means of 
cutting off trade with Canada indefinitely but as a way of ensuring 
that Congress has the time and takes the time, all the time it needs, 
to consider the provisions of this rule. It is important for producer 
and consumer alike for this industry we call the great beef industry.
  I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the 
quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The majority leader is recognized.

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