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News from U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth
For Immediate Release
Contact: Russ Levsen, 202-226-4449

HERSETH: RUSHING TO OPEN CANADIAN BORDER IS UNNECESSARY RISK

Questions USDA Decision to Open Border Before Serious Questions Are Answered

July 21, 2005, Washington, D.C. – On a conference call with reporters today, U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth called into question the U.S. Department of Argiculture’s decision to resume trade across the Canadian Border for cattle under 30 months. The USDA action was in reaction to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturning a preliminary injunction order from a Montana Federal District Court last week.

Herseth said: “This was a rushed decision that unnecessarily places our herd at risk. Opening the border now does not make sense for a couple of reasons. First, the Appeals Court did not offer its reasoning for staying the injunction, and the original decision is still pending at the federal district court level. In fact, just yesterday, the case was delayed in order to wait for written reasons from the appeals court. So it’s clear that there is still a debate to be had, and we should let the process run its course before prematurely opening up the border.

“Second, and most importantly, there are still serious questions about USDA’s testing and surveillance in the wake of a recent discovery of a confirmed case of BSE within our own borders. It is irresponsible and premature to rush to open the border to Canada so soon, with so many questions, and so few answers. Opening the border further complicates our own testing and surveillance, and perhaps unnecessarily endangers our herd. This move further exacerbates concerns that I have about the USDA’s decision making process and its desire to act in the best interests of American producers.”

Herseth noted that ranchers in South Dakota have reported to her that they believe exposing the U.S. herd to this unnecessary risk harms their ability to ensure delivery of the safest, best quality beef in the world. And they believe they need a mechanism like mandatory country-of-origin labeling to distinguish their product by its quality.

She added, “It’s clear that the Administration won’t rest until the border is open. And now we face the reality of Canadian beef coming across our borders, even though there are many unanswered questions about the safety of the Canadian herd. At an absolute minimum, American consumers deserve to know where their beef is coming from and the reopening of the Canadian border makes even more clear the need for mandatory country-of-origin labeling.”

Herseth is a member of the House Agriculture committee, and its subcommittee on Horticulture and Livestock. She has requested oversight hearings on this issue.

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