| Despite
two recent cases of BSE in Canada, USDA is still pushing ahead with its plan to
reopen the border to imports of live cattle under 30 months of age from Canada
on March 7, 2005. Meanwhile, U.S. Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Mike Enzi (R-WY)
on January 24 introduced bi-partisan legislation to keep the U.S.-Canadian border
closed to imports of live Canadian cattle until mandatory country-of-origin labeling
is implemented. In the House Congressman Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) also introduced a
bill earlier to prevent the USDA rule from taking place until the U.S. is able
to export beef to all the countries that were buying meat or cattle prior to the
2003 case of BSE. Congress
has authority to modify or cancel the USDA rule in a sixty-day Congressional comment
period. Next Thursday, February 3, the Senate Agriculture Committee will hold
the hearing on the USDA rule to decide whether they believe it should go into
effect on March 7 as planned. Urge the Senate Agriculture Committee today to use
their influence to stop reopening the border to Canadian cattle. The
National Grange believes that the USDA's decision to open the boarder to live
cattle imports from Canada and/or other countries with active BSE cases or otherwise
at high risk for an outbreak of BSE should be withdrawn until science-based BSE
prevention systems in those countries have proved that they are working. National
Grange policy says: "National
Grange asks that imports of animals, meat and meat by-products into the United
States from any country having Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) be stopped
until scientific data shows otherwise."
Please
copy or rephrase the following language on your own hand-written post card Or
please click the following to download ready-made post card and print it on #8387
post card sheet.
To
download ready-made post card Click Front
/ Back
Dear
Senate Agriculture Committee: I
am writing to ask you to stop USDA's plan to resume imports of live cattle under
30 months of age from Canada. The existence of two more active cases of BSE raises
serious scientific questions about this disease and its transmission that should
be answered before imports are allowed to resume. Also, USDA's rule is inconsistent
with country of origin labeling programs established in the 2002 Farm Bill. Sincerely, (Signature)
(Name)__________________________ (Grange/Grange
name and number) __________________________ |
Please
send it to: Attn:
Hearing Clerk
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry
Room
SR-328A
Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC. 20510-6000 |
The
postcard should be sent until Feb. 8, 2005 to be considered. |
If
you have any questions or comments please contact Legislative Research Analyst
Chil-Sook Hwang by e-mail: chwang@nationalgrange.org
by fax: 202-347-1091 or by phone: 1-888-4GRANGE, ext 109. Thank
you for your grassroots participation in the National Grange Legislative program.
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