Each time The Humane Society of the United States has uncovered appalling abuses of sick and crippled cows this year, the reaction from policymakers has been swift and unequivocal. There have been eight congressional hearings on downed animals and food safety, there has been proposed agency action at the regulatory level, and candidates have made statements on the campaign trail about how we treat animals raised for food.
The fallout from last week’s revelations that further abuses occurred at a livestock auction in Portales, N.M., has been no different. Here is a summary of what leaders are saying about the latest investigation:
- Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), chairwoman of the House Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee, issued a statement saying, “The repeated revelations of cattle abuse occurring at livestock auction sites and slaughterhouses are extremely troublesome. Not only are we again witnessing the inhumane treatment of cows and the illegal slaughtering of downed cows for the food supply, but also the distribution of potentially contaminated meat into the school lunch program.” DeLauro included a provision in the Agriculture Appropriations bill being considered now for 2009 pressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expedite its rule on barring the slaughter of downed cattle for food.
- Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the Majority Whip, also called on the agency to push forward on this issue. He said in a statement, “The footage released today is not the first time we’ve seen cruel treatment of downed livestock at auction. It’s also not the first time we’ve seen the USDA fail to take effective action in response…The USDA has been working on changing the procedures regarding downer cattle for nearly a year. Despite ongoing reports of downers being mistreated and mishandled, the agency has been unwilling or unable to complete the process. The USDA needs to do its job. Now.”
- Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), the co-author of the Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act, asked the following: “How can this sort of thing continue to occur? After Westland, the livestock industry went on record saying that the industry needs to clean up its act, but that Westland was an isolated incident. Now, it’s clear that neither thing is true: the industry hasn’t cleaned up its act, and Westland wasn’t an isolated incident.” DeFazio’s bill would require that meat producers who supply federal programs, such as the National School Lunch Program, meet a basic set of animal welfare standards, including veterinary treatment or immediate euthanasia of any injured animal.
- The Democratic Party of New Mexico also took the opportunity to point out the contrast between U.S. Senate candidates in the state where the latest abuses were uncovered. “We all remember 2003, when a downer cow tested positive for mad cow disease,” said Josh Geise, the party’s executive director. “It shouldn’t take a tragedy for government to do what’s right and Congressman Udall is cosponsoring important legislation to stop the processing of downed cattle so no one in America will be infected with the deadly mad cow disease. We hope Steve Pearce will step up and stop the dangerous act of auctioning downed cows.”
Our continued thanks are extended to lawmakers and campaigners for keeping the spotlight on this serious threat to animal welfare and food safety. It’s clear that protecting animals from being tormented at every step of the food production process from farm to slaughter, and protecting our food supply from potentially contaminated meat, is not only good policy, but also good politics.
