Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2007
FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2007 -- (House of Representatives - June 09, 2006)
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Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, this amendment is designed to highlight the seriousness of the Japanese beef embargo. My amendment would state that none of the funds available in this act could be used to provide assistance to any country identified by the Department of Agriculture as a country that prohibits the importation of United States beef from animals less than 30 months of age.
We have a wonderful product that comes from this Nation. When we look at the firewalls that we have for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, our beef is truly the safest in the world. And this ongoing trade ban against the United States has caused billions of dollars in loss of trade for our American ranchers, packers, and shippers. In Colorado alone, at least 1,000 job losses can be directly related to this beef embargo.
Some countries such as Japan are using the guise of health and safety protocols for an excuse for protectionist policies. I believe that this needs to stop immediately. Since the USDA testing procedures were put into place in 2004, only two cows have been tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and neither of those cattle made it into the food chain.
The United States has the highest quality, safest beef in the world. I believe that our science is very sound, and we have met all of the requirements that the Japanese Government requires.
I hope that this highlights the concern that we have with the beef embargo with Japan, and I don't believe that our tax dollars should go to nations that act in this unreasonable way.
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Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, the USDA's enhanced BSE surveillance program continues to test targeted animals identified as most likely to have the disease. Since June 1 of 2004, the program has tested almost 726,000 cattle and has found again only two confirmed cases, evidence to show that our safeguards are working. Testing 268,500 animals can detect BSE at a rate of one in 10 million adult cattle at a 99 percent confidence level.
I would ask the respected chairman if he would work with me and the Members of the Agriculture Committee to resolve this problem.
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