{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=0E345A0F-FC75-43A1-A9E9-E3B5F38FD057", "Thune, Luj\u00e1n Lead Fight For Cattle Producers, Demand Halt of Brazilian Fresh Beef Imports", "2021-12-09", "2021", "2021-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-N.M.), members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today led a bipartisan group of senators in expressing support for the cattle industry\u2019s recent requests for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to immediately suspend fresh beef imports from Brazil. In 2017, Brazilian fresh beef imports were suspended due to food safety concerns, and USDA allowed these imports to resume in 2020. The senators are concerned with Brazil\u2019s recent failure to quickly disclose two cases of atypical spongiform encephalopathy \u2013 a neurological disease of cattle \u2013 which could pose a significant threat to the health and safety of the U.S. cattle herd.\n\n\u201cCattle producers across the country work hard to produce the highest quality beef in the world,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cThis industry should not be jeopardized by Brazilian beef imports that may contaminate U.S. herds and our food supply. We support the requests to suspend Brazilian fresh beef imports until a thorough investigation can be made into Brazil\u2019s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply food safety review process.\u201d\n\nIn February 2020, Thune led a bipartisan group of his colleagues in sending a letter to USDA questioning the department\u2019s decision to lift the U.S. ban on Brazilian beef imports.\n\nThis letter was also signed by U.S. Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.).\n\nFull letter below:\n\nThe Honorable Tom Vilsack\n\nSecretary\n\nU.S. Department of Agriculture\n\n1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.\n\nWashington, D.C., 20250\n\nDear Secretary Vilsack:\n\nWe write to express support for the cattle industry\u2019s recent requests for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to immediately suspend fresh beef imports from Brazil.\n\nAs you know, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a significant concern for cattle producers and consumers, and the United States has gone to great lengths to put in place extensive interlocking safeguards to ensure our cattle producers and consumers are protected from this devastating disease. In 2017, Brazilian fresh beef imports were suspended due to food safety concerns, and unfortunately, USDA allowed these imports to resume in 2020.\n\nDue to a lengthy delay in the reporting of two recent atypical BSE cases, we have concerns that these events are evidence that Brazil may lack credible animal health and food safety systems. While health officials state these two atypical BSE cases arose spontaneously in the infected cattle, Brazil\u2019s irresponsible behavior may pose a significant threat to the health and safety of the U.S. cattle herd.\n\nWe believe these concerns warrant the immediate suspension of Brazil\u2019s fresh beef imports until a thorough review can be performed by USDA and livestock producers can be assured that Brazilian beef does not place our herds or consumers at risk from BSE or other potentially devastating livestock diseases.\n\nCattle producers across the country work hard to produce the highest quality beef in the world. This industry should not be jeopardized by Brazilian beef imports that may contaminate U.S. herds and our food supply.\n\nWe support the requests to suspend Brazilian fresh beef imports until a thorough investigation can be made into Brazil\u2019s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply food safety review process. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We look forward to your response.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:37:48Z"]], "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://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=0E345A0F-FC75-43A1-A9E9-E3B5F38FD057"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 3.291507950052619, "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"}