U.S. Representative Stephanie Herseth

News from Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
For Immediate Release
Contact: Chip Weiskotten, 202-226-8553
Russ Levsen, 202-226-4449

HERSETH SANDLIN STATEMENT ON USDA RULE OPENING CANADIAN BORDER

Presents Unnecessary Risk to Domestic Herd in Face of BSE Threats

September 14, 2007, Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin today expressed strong opposition to the final adoption of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) rule to open the Canadian border to live cattle over 30 months of age.

Rep. Herseth Sandlin, who serves on the House Agriculture Committee, said, “I continue to believe that the risk outweighs the reward when it comes to further opening the Canadian border. Stripping out these common sense protections will place our domestic herd at risk. Opening the border threatens the economic livelihoods of American ranchers.”

Rep. Herseth Sandlin holds serious concerns about the repeated incidents of Canadian cattle found to harbor BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), some born long after a ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban went into effect in that country, and the threat these discoveries hold for our domestic herd. She also believes that opening the border will undermine our ability to reestablish foreign markets important to South Dakota’s cattle industry.

In June of this year, following another report of BSE in the Canadian herd, Rep. Herseth Sandlin joined a group of bipartisan colleagues in a letter urging USDA to withdraw the proposal which was adopted today.

# # #

Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin serves South Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats committed to fiscal discipline and strong national security, and is co-chair of the Rural Working Group, which is dedicated to raising the profile of issues important to rural America. She also serves on three committees vital to South Dakota’s interests: Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs and Natural Resources. In the 110th Congress, Rep. Herseth Sandlin was one of only 15 members appointed to serve on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.