Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Senate today passed two amendments offered by Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) to H.R. 2744, the Agriculture Appropriations bill for FY 2006. Both would protect the health of the American public. Amendment 1730, the Downed Animal Amendment, would prohibit the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from utilizing funds under this Act to approve downed animals for human consumption.

"I do not believe that now is the time to lower our defenses," Senator Akaka stated. "Stronger legislation is needed to ensure that these animals do not enter our food chain. My amendment will prevent downed animals from being approved for consumption, and will allow USDA and other stakeholders time to continue working on reducing and potentially eliminating the risk of BSE or any other prions from entering our food chain."

According to the Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, the USDA currently tests only about one percent of the cattle slaughtered in the United States - significantly less than other countries with confirmed cases of mad cow disease.

The Consumers Union said it "is encouraged by the Senate's passage today of an amendment offered by Senator Akaka of Hawaii that would ban downer cows from entering the food supply-a move that would make permanent a decision made by the USDA in the wake of the first case of mad cow discovered in the U.S. in December 2003."

The Senate also passed Amendment 1729, the Pet Protection Amendment based on S. 451, the Pet Safety and Protection Act, which protects family pets while allowing research on dogs and cats to continue in an environment free from scientific fraud and animal abuse. This amendment prohibits federal funds from being provided to a research facility that purchases animals from Class B dealers. Class B animal dealers collect dogs and cats from "random sources" and routinely violate the Animal Welfare Act. The Animal Welfare Act sets minimum care standards for animals and requires accurate record keeping on their acquisition and disposition.

Senator Akaka said, "Class B-acquired animals have not had standardized care nor is there any certainty of the history of the animals. These circumstances make them unsuitable as research subjects in any case, since they cannot be used as control cases or experimental animals."