Chair DeLauro Urges Secretary Vilsack to Suspend Brazilian Beef Imports

WASHINGTON, DC- House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to immediately suspend all imports of beef from Brazil after the country failed to promptly report cases of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy earlier this summer."I write urging you to use your authority to halt imports of beef from Brazil into the United States immediately," wrote Congresswoman DeLauro. "The decision by Brazilian officials to hide the country's June 2021 cases of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy for months was reckless and appalling. Actions such as these threaten international efforts to combat outbreaks of animal diseases around the globe.""At the same time, we have known for years the underlying structural problems with Brazil's meat inspection system," continued Congresswoman DeLauro. "We should act before a crisis occurs in order to protect American consumers, their families, and the farmers and ranchers of this country. This issue is made worse by our lack of mandatory country of origin labeling. Families are left without an option to tell where their beef comes from, and farmers and ranchers are forced to compete against beef imported from a country that refuses to play by the rules."

In March of 2017, DeLauro also urged USDA to suspend beef imports from Brazil following a two-year Brazilian federal police investigation into the country's corrupt meat and poultry industry. Later that year, she called on USDA to conduct a full and thorough review of Brazil's meat inspection systems before allowing further imports of Brazilian beef.

DeLauro's full letter can be found here.