Brief Description: Petitioning the United States Department of Agriculture regarding Canadian beef importation and export of United States beef.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Agriculture & Rural Economic Development (originally sponsored by Senators Rasmussen, Schoesler, Sheldon, Franklin, Roach, Spanel, Deccio, McAuliffe, Shin, Haugen, Prentice, Fairley, Rockefeller, Mulliken and Morton).

Senate Committee on Agriculture & Rural Economic Development
House Committee on Economic Development, Agriculture & Trade

Background: On January 4, 2005, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed a rule to reopen its border effective on March 7, 2005 to the importation of Canadian live cattle and processed beef products. Shortly thereafter, on January 11th, Canada announced that another cow in Canada tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). In response, the USDA announced that it would send a technical team to Canada to investigate the circumstances that resulted in this additional infection.

Many foreign markets to U.S. beef products were closed due to the discovery on December 23, 2004, of one cow with BSE in the United States. These foreign markets have yet to reopen. The origin of this animal was Canada.

Summary: The USDA is requested to: (1) reaffirm to Congress and the courts that the federal rule to lift the limited ban on importing Canadian beef be based on sound scientific proof so that consumer safety and animal health of the United States will be maintained; and (2) redouble efforts to conclude negotiations with trading partners to reestablish critical exports for U.S. produced beef be based on the same sound science.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      42   4
House      94   2   (House amended)
Senate      46   0   (Senate concurred)