Mr. President, I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R. 2673, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY 2004, that will help protect the health of the American public. This amendment would prohibit the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from utilizing funds under this Act to approve downed animals for human consumption. I thank Senators Levin, Cantwell, and Lieberman for cosponsoring this amendment.
Downed animals are livestock such as cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, or other equines that are too sick to stand or walk unassisted. Many of these animals are dying from infectious diseases and present a significant pathway for the spread of disease.
I commend USDA and livestock organizations for their efforts to address the issue of downed animals. However, I am deeply concerned about diseases such as BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy), more commonly known as mad cow disease, that pose a serious risk to the United States cattle industry and human health. A food inspection study conducted in Germany in 2001 found that BSE is present in a higher percentage of downed livestock than in the general cattle population. USDA stated that downed animals are one of the most significant potential pathways that have not been addressed in previous efforts to reduce risks from BSE. Stronger legislation is needed to ensure that these animals do not enter our food chain. My amendment prevents downed animals from being approved for consumption at our dinner tables.
On January 21st of this year, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) proposed rules in the Federal Register asking for comments on reducing the risks of BSE from downed and dead livestock. In the proposed rules, USDA acknowledges that downed animals serve as a potential pathway for the spread of BSE. Currently, before slaughter, USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) diverts downer livestock that exhibit clinical signs associated with BSE or other types of diseases until further tests may be taken. However, this does not mean that downed livestock cannot be processed for human consumption. If downer cattle presented for slaughter pass both the pre- and post-inspection process, meat and meat by-products from such cattle can be used for human consumption. Routinely, BSE is not correctly distinguished from many other diseases and conditions that show similar symptoms. This was demonstrated by the surveillance of a similar inspection process in Europe, showing that the process is inadequate for detecting BSE. Consequently, BSE-infected cattle can be approved for human and animal consumption.
Although USDA increased the number of cattle tested for BSE from 5,200 during the year 2001 to 19,990 in the year 2002, this still represents less than one percent of the industry that is tested. Of the 5,200 cattle tested for BSE in FY01, approximately 87 percent of the animals targeted for testing were downed. Today, USDA has increased its efforts to test approximately ten percent of downed cattle per year for BSE. It is interesting to note, however, that Japan currently tests each of its 1.3 million beef cattle slaughtered annually for BSE. While I am not asking the industry and federal government to test every slaughtered cow, I am asking the federal government to address and reduce the real risks associated with BSE and similar diseases in the U.S.
Mr. President, some individuals fear that my amendment would place an excessive financial burden on the livestock industry. I want to remind my colleagues that one single downed cow in Canada diagnosed with BSE this year shut down the world's third largest beef exporter. It is estimated that the Canadian beef industry lost over $1 billion as a result of the discovery of BSE and more than 30 countries banned Canadian cattle and beef. As the Canadian cattle industry continues to recover from its economic loss, it is prudent for the United States to be proactive in preventing BSE and other animal diseases from entering our food chain.
Mr. President, we must protect our livestock industry and human health from diseases such as BSE. My amendment reduces the threat of passing diseases from downed livestock to our food supply. USDA only tests a small sample of downed animals for diseases. This is not enough. My amendment ensures downed animals will not be used for human consumption. It also requires higher standards for food safety and protects human health from diseases and the livestock industry from economic distress.
Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to support this important amendment.
