Reps. Mann, Costa, and Colleagues Defend American Beef Producers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Tracey Mann (KS-01) and Jim Costa (D-CA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry, led 19 of their colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack opposing a new rule that would allow for the importation of beef from Paraguay. 

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Paraguay is currently affected with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), a highly contagious viral disease affecting cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and other cloven-hooved animals. USDA’s new rule relies on decade- and nearly decade-old site visits to Paraguay in 2008 and 2014 to overcome the prohibition of importing beef from the country.  

“USDA relied on outdated site visits, irrelevant inspections, and inadequate data to overcome these prohibitions,” the members wrote. “Paraguay knows what we all know – the U.S. is the largest, most reliable consumer of beef in the world. We have that reputation because of the tireless work of beef producers to provide the safest and most efficient beef production system in the world. The U.S. should not expand our market to unsafe actors at the risk of the health and livelihood of U.S. agricultural producers and consumers.” 

The members urge USDA to halt the implementation of the rule until a more reliable risk assessment may be completed based on modern site visits in Paraguay.  

“The United States has the highest food safety and animal health standards in the world, and any country who wishes to trade with the United States must demonstrate that they can meet those standards,” said Ethan Lane, Vice President of Government Affairs, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “Paraguay’s long history of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks and the lack of recent site visits, makes importing beef from Paraguay too risky. All our trade partners need to have inspection systems that can clearly provide an equivalent level of safety for animal health to prevent a possible foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the United States. Cattle producers thank Representatives Tracey Mann and Jim Costa for holding USDA accountable and helping to protect cattle from foreign animal disease.”  

Click here to view the USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service rule. 

Click here to view Rep. Mann’s Commitment to the Big First.

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