[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 50 (Thursday, March 21, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2495-S2496]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              S.J. Res. 62

  Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, in November of 2023, the Biden 
administration released a new rule to allow for beef imports from 
Paraguay, a country that has historically struggled to contain 
outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in their cattle herds.
  The United States has been blocking beef imports from Paraguay since 
1997. Paraguay last reported cases of foot-and-mouth disease in 2012. 
The USDA's decision to resume Paraguayan imports relies on an analysis 
that was completed in 2018, but American inspectors have not conducted 
a site visit to Paraguay since 2014.
  American producers work tirelessly to produce the safest, highest 
quality, and most affordable beef in the entire world. Our consumers 
should be able to confidently feed their families beef that has met the 
rigorous standards required within the United States. The United States 
has not had a case of foot-and-mouth disease since 1929. We want to 
keep it that way by reversing this rule until a working group has had 
an opportunity to evaluate the threat to food safety and animal health 
posed

[[Page S2496]]

by Paraguayan beef with an updated analysis.
  In other words, what we are asking for is for the Department of Ag 
here to protect our food supply for consumers by making certain that 
they use the most updated information possible before they allow 
Paraguay to begin importing beef here.
  Foot-and-mouth disease is something that we have literally 
eradicated, but if it ever gets back into the country, it can be 
transferred to human beings, and it can be transferred to human beings 
back to livestock. It is contagious. We just simply ask that they 
update this study before they allow this to occur.
  Today, we have two votes in a row. The first vote is not on this 
particular issue, but the second vote is. I would ask my colleagues for 
an affirmative vote to delay this rule--to stop this rule and delay 
it--until such time as we have an appropriate and timely review.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana.
  Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, I first want to express my appreciation to 
the good Senator from South Dakota, Senator Rounds.
  You know, Senator Rounds comes from South Dakota, and I come from 
Montana. These are both States where we raise a lot of beef. If you 
come from a State like that, you understand how catastrophic lifting 
the ban on Paraguayan beef is. It is not a good idea. In our States, 
lifting this ban is not supported by Democrats, and it is not supported 
by Republicans. The reason is pretty simple. The impacts that lifting 
this ban have on operations--ranching operations--and on our food 
security is real, and it is very, very, very serious.
  This Congressional Review Act vote that we are going to take--the 
second one in this order--will overturn the Biden administration's 
decision to lift that longstanding ban on beef imports from Paraguay. 
The truth is, the administration butchered this decision. I have 
serious concerns if Paraguay does not currently meet the animal health 
standards that are in place to warrant access to our markets. Congress 
must step in and stop this decision in order to protect the American 
producer and the American consumer.
  Our ranchers in this country--I like to say our Montana ranchers--
raise the best beef in the world. In fact, there is a bumper sticker 
that says, ``Montana makes beef, and beef makes Montana,'' and that is 
a fact. And it is true all over this country. Our ranchers do it by 
holding themselves to the strictest standards when it comes to managing 
and maintaining their herds. Paraguay simply doesn't meet those same 
high standards. They have a history of foot-and-mouth disease, and 
lifting this ban poses a real threat to our food supply.
  Look, while the chances of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak to some 
may appear low, the effects of just one outbreak can be devastating. 
The cost to ranchers for our economy is estimated to be as high as $200 
billion. And you say: Why could that happen? I mean, how could it 
happen? It is just a little bit of meat coming into the United States. 
Well, the fact is, this is highly contagious. What happens if a cow 
contracts this disease is--it is like pouring acid over their nose, 
over their udders, over their feet; it blisters the mouth, the feet, 
the udders; and, quite frankly, it goes through a herd like wildfire. 
It puts people out of business, and it impacts our food security.
  Senator Rounds talked about this, but the USDA has to get more recent 
data and thorough data to show that Paraguayan beef is safe and 
healthy. It should be available behind the meat counter with the 
information that we have now because, as Senator Rounds pointed out, we 
haven't had inspectors there in 10 years, and there were only four 
there when they were there. Things change.
  Look, this isn't about one single country. The fact is, I know 
Paraguay is a great ally, and I think the State Department is having a 
lot of influence on this decision because of that ally. I appreciate 
countries that have the same values as us, but the fact is, we do not 
have the animal health standard in place--it is a broken process--and 
we need to have better standards if we are going to be bringing beef 
from anywhere. This is about keeping our consumers safe. It is about 
protecting America's cattle herds so that ranchers don't have to fear 
an outbreak of this disease because, if it happens, they are done: 
generational ranchers, done; our food supply, put at risk.
  If you want to know who is supporting this Congressional Review Act, 
they are folks who typically don't always get along together--the NCBA, 
U.S. Cattlemen, R-CALF USA, the Livestock Marketing Association, the 
National Farmers Union, and the American Farm Bureau. This shows the 
kind of broad-based support for the CRA that Senator Rounds and I are 
doing on this issue. Rural America sees this as a real problem. This 
united front shows just how important protecting our cattle herds and 
our food supply is to American farmers and ranchers.
  I want to be clear: I share my colleague's concerns about what is 
going on in China and Russia right now. I understand the importance of 
strengthening alliances with partners all over the world, including 
Paraguay, but I am telling you we shouldn't do it on the backs of hard-
working American ranchers. We shouldn't do it on the backs of 
threatening our food security.
  I understand that many folks back here have never gone through a 
calving season; they have never had to fix a fence; they have never had 
to manage grass; they have never had to butcher a cow. But I am going 
to tell you, I see firsthand every day the kind of work these folks put 
in, and they don't need something that is totally out of their control 
putting them out of business and putting our food supply at risk. That 
is why this is critical. Congress needs to step up, do the oversight, 
pass this Congressional Review Act, and put the ban back on Paraguayan 
beef. It is really important. I would urge all of my colleagues to 
support this commonsense solution to protect our Nation's food supply 
and do right by American ranchers.
  In closing, I will just say this: The way we adjudicate animal health 
standards in foreign countries that want to export beef to us--that 
system is broken. It is broken. Congress has an opportunity today to 
provide real oversight and jump-start the conversation about how much 
we need on these reforms, and it starts with this Congressional Review 
Act.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Hawaii.
  Mr. SCHATZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the scheduled 
vote occur immediately.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.