Letter to Nebraska Newspapers from Chris Abbott
April 3, 2005
Dear Editor:
Why have Nebraska's Congressional representatives refused to sign the
Resolution of Disapproval (HR 23) which keeps the Canadian border closed
to live cattle?
Why aren't they working to secure mandatory Country of Origin Labeling?
Why has the United States guaranteed that it won't export Canadian beef
to Japan when it has blocked efforts to give American consumers that
choice?
Why are Nebraska's representatives willing to risk the loss of consumer
confidence by waiving the rules on BSE established in l989 by World
Health Officials? Do they realize that if the border opens under relaxed
regulations, the U.S. would have the lowest health and safety standards
on imported cattle of any developed nation? Will the US become a dumping
ground for beef from other BSE-infected countries?
We lost our largest export markets because one infected Canadian cow
was identified in the U.S. Why would we EVER put our domestic market
at risk by further relaxing existing regulations?
If the livelihood of Nebraska's ranchers and farmers is important to
our representatives, then Osborne, Terry, and Fortenberry should sign
on as co-sponsors of the Resolution of Disapproval so a vote can be
taken.
Chris Abbott
Hyannis, NE