-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, in November of 2023, the Biden administration released a new rule to allow for beef imports from Paraguay, a country that has historically struggled to contain outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in their cattle herds.

The United States has been blocking beef imports from Paraguay since 1997. Paraguay last reported cases of foot-and-mouth disease in 2012. The USDA's decision to resume Paraguayan imports relies on an analysis that was completed in 2018, but American inspectors have not conducted a site visit to Paraguay since 2014.

American producers work tirelessly to produce the safest, highest quality, and most affordable beef in the entire world. Our consumers should be able to confidently feed their families beef that has met the rigorous standards required within the United States. The United States has not had a case of foot-and-mouth disease since 1929. We want to keep it that way by reversing this rule until a working group has had an opportunity to evaluate the threat to food safety and animal health posed by Paraguayan beef with an updated analysis.

In other words, what we are asking for is for the Department of Ag here to protect our food supply for consumers by making certain that they use the most updated information possible before they allow Paraguay to begin importing beef here.

Foot-and-mouth disease is something that we have literally eradicated, but if it ever gets back into the country, it can be transferred to human beings, and it can be transferred to human beings back to livestock. It is contagious. We just simply ask that they update this study before they allow this to occur.

Today, we have two votes in a row. The first vote is not on this particular issue, but the second vote is. I would ask my colleagues for an affirmative vote to delay this rule--to stop this rule and delay it--until such time as we have an appropriate and timely review.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source