{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://johnrose.house.gov/media/press-releases/us-reps-rose-and-desjarlais-blast-usda-threatening-future-tennessee-walking", "U.S. Reps. Rose and DesJarlais Blast USDA for Threatening Future of Tennessee Walking Horse Industry, Without Giving Stakeholders Time to Address Its Potential Harm", "2023-10-27", "2023", "2023-10", "Republican", "House", "TN", "John W. Rose", "R000612", "johnrose.house.gov", "johnrose", "https://johnrose.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC\u2014Today, U.S. Representatives John Rose (TN-06) and Scott DesJarlais (TN-04) criticized the USDA\u2019s decision not to extend the 60-day public comment period for a proposed rule that would result in a sweeping change to the Tennessee Walking Horse Industry.\n\n\u201cWhen the government proposes a new rule that threatens to decimate an entire industry, 60 days of public comment is insufficient,\u201d Rep. Rose said. \u201cI\u2019m more than disturbed by the USDA\u2019s decision to deny the many stakeholders of the Tennessee Walking Horse Industry more time to prepare thoughtful, data-driven, and science-based comments on the proposed rule. This is another example of government gone wrong.\u201d\n\n\u201cPresident Biden\u2019s liberal USDA is pushing forward with a flawed rule that will do nothing to protect the already well cared for horses. This industry, in the heart of my district, has been under attack for years,\u201d said Rep. DesJarlais. \u201cI have a long history of defending the walking horse industry from overburdensome and ineffective government regulation since I came to Congress in 2011.\u201d\n\nThe proposed change, published by the USDA\u2019s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on Aug. 21, 2023, would ban action devices and pads and thus eliminate entire categories of competition for Tennessee Walking Horses. Performance categories currently account for 70% of horses entered in shows, including the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration.\n\nIn September, Reps. Rose and Scott DesJarlais (TN-04) led three Members of Congress, Reps. David Kustoff (TN-08), Hal Rogers (KY-05), and James Comer (KY-01), in sending a letter to USDA requesting a 60-day extension and outlining why more time is critical to ensure the most comprehensive and focused comments are submitted to APHIS for review. In the letter, the Members also noted that the proposed rule was published at the height of the Walking Horse Industry\u2019s largest show.\n\nRead the full letter here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://johnrose.house.gov/media/press-releases/us-reps-rose-and-desjarlais-blast-usda-threatening-future-tennessee-walking"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7972707971930504, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}