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Ranchers.net

The House Should Be Embarrassed

A little over a year ago, shortly after the USDA promulgated new regulations that would allow live cattle to be imported from Canada. The U.S. Senate passed a resolution of disapproval. Such resolutions are rare. They are allowed by law in situations where a federal agency’s proposed rules and regulations pass a certain threshold of economic impact. When that happens the Congress has a limited time in which it can disapprove of the proposed regulations and keep them from being implemented.



The USDA had argued that their proposed regulations to open the Canadian border to imports of live cattle was based on “sound science”. R-CALF USA had disagreed and attempted to present its case in court. (To date R-CALF has not yet been able to present its full argument before a court of law. R-CALF has appealed to the Ninth Circuit for its right to argue its full case in court.)

The recent discoveries of more BSE cases in Canada has demonstrated the Truth of what R-CALF has been saying for quite some time--that the USDA regulation allowing the importation of live cattle from Canada was never based on “sound science.” Instead, it was motivated by a desire to help a few at the expense of many.

When the resolution of disapproval that was passed by the Senate reached the House of Representatives, it was referred to the House Agriculture Committee. The chairman of the Agriculture Committee refused to report it out of committee and allow a full debate and vote on the House floor.

Right now the USDA and the House of Representatives (especially House Ag Committee chairman Bob Goodlatte) are looking mighty foolish. Their decision to stand together on “sound science” that turned out not to be sound has highlighted their suspicious motives. It’s time to readdress the Canadian BSE issue in Congress


A little over a year ago, shortly after the USDA promulgated new regulations that would allow live cattle to be imported from Canada. The U.S. Senate passed a resolution of disapproval. Such resolutions are rare. They are allowed by law in situations where a federal agency’s proposed rules and regulations pass a certain threshold of economic impact. When that happens the Congress has a limited time in which it can disapprove of the proposed regulations and keep them from being implemented.



The USDA had argued that their proposed regulations to open the Canadian border to imports of live cattle was based on “sound science”. R-CALF USA had disagreed and attempted to present its case in court. (To date R-CALF has not yet been able to present its full argument before a court of law. R-CALF has appealed to the Ninth Circuit for its right to argue its full case in court.)

The recent discoveries of more BSE cases in Canada has demonstrated the Truth of what R-CALF has been saying for quite some time--that the USDA regulation allowing the importation of live cattle from Canada was never based on “sound science.” Instead, it was motivated by a desire to help a few at the expense of many.

When the resolution of disapproval that was passed by the Senate reached the House of Representatives, it was referred to the House Agriculture Committee. The chairman of the Agriculture Committee refused to report it out of committee and allow a full debate and vote on the House floor.

Right now the USDA and the House of Representatives (especially House Ag Committee chairman Bob Goodlatte) are looking mighty foolish. Their decision to stand together on “sound science” that turned out not to be sound has highlighted their suspicious motives. It’s time to readdress the Canadian BSE issue in Congress
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