Senate Votes to Ban Canadian Beef

WASHINGTON — The Senate voted Thursday to overturn the Bush administration's decision to allow Canadian cattle into the country again nearly two years after they were banned because of mad cow disease.

The White House said President Bush would veto the measure if it reached his desk, warning that continuing to refuse Canadian beef would damage efforts to persuade other countries to buy U.S. beef.

The Senate's 52-46 vote was to reject the Agriculture Department's decision to begin resuming imports of Canadian cows under 30 months of age beginning next week. A similar measure has been introduced in the House, but leaders there have not scheduled a vote.

"They've got mad cow disease," said Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.). "Now the question is, should we run the risk of opening our border to livestock imports from Canada, when the evidence demonstrates clearly they're not enforcing their regulations to reduce the risk to them and to us?"

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/la-na-madcow4mar04,1,791387.story?coll=la-news-politics-national

He's said that he'll veto it.

are "not enforcing their regulations".

Good. Let them damage more trade.

.
.
.

There's a new player on the world market aincha heard?

1.3 Billion Customers!

And they are sniffin around our lumber trade

And our Steel

And our (shhh) o-i-l.

So lets get on with it Canada!

Let slide that "partner" that keeps dingin' us with sanctions and tarrifs, and ignores decisions from the WTO

And the West(our western provinces) will have to divorce themselves from that questionable love affair with the United States.

Aw gee!!

The closed border with Canada nicely makes up for the markets that U.S. cattle producers lost internationally over BSE. To think that Bush and company would re-open the border over some principle of free trade is to believe in the tooth fairy.

The U.S. just isn't looking for BSE, while Canada sort of half-heartedly is. That's the only difference between the two countries, as far as I can see.

because of Mad Cow...that cow came from Canada.

Until we can assure folks our beef is safe, they will boycott us; by opening our borders to Canadian beef, our problems will grow.

Why the USDA has said that Canadian beef is safe?

but I do know that Kent Conrad, Dem, of a cattle producing state is behind this vote, & others join him in saying Canadian cattle are not safe.

Allowed to make the rules for a game while the game is being played? People are just trying to figure out what the rules are before the players decide that they are not going to play the game anymore.

Once everyone knows the rules they can decide if they want to play the game.

That means they still have a problem.

And finally, if Bush is against it, then it's probably a good idea.

But don't worry...the Bush-bots in the House will never disagree with their Fearless Leader, so we will get questionable beef, right on schedule.

For the explanation.

the standards for checking for BSE in both the US and Canada, including what % of cattle are tested, how often, etc. I think you will be surprised at what you find.

As to the dem senator, the key point you made "from a cattle-producing" area, is simply protecting the sale of US cattle, maintaining the increased prices you are now paying for that beef and keeping the cattle lobbyists happy so they will contribute to his campaign. Both dems and repubs are owned by lobbyists, there is no distinction there, imo.

It is unfortunate some are buying into the disinformation that is being provided as it is hurting both US and Canadian citizens solely for the purposes of fattening the wallets of the Cattle Industry and their lobbyists.

I don't own cattle, don't work in the industry, eat Canadian beef without fear and am really not that concerned if the border doesn't open to our cattle, it will just make us work harder for other markets which we should have been doing anyway to lessen our need to export to the US.

It is the hypocrisy again that is irritating.

It's always about "special interests." Unfortunately, they now run our govt.

However, after years of "Free Trade" our economic system is really in a mess, so I am looking at it also from a "protection" angle.

It's all very complex, & there are many arguments on both sides.

I also think our country should do more to test animals.

Cdn beef".

Very well then, Canada; you did the best you could to honor the US-Cdn trade agreement on this issue. America did not.

Now it's time to say FU to the USA and go with the EU.