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1 1 SENATE RESOLUTION NO.
1 2 BY COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
1 3 A Senate Resolution to urge that Ms. Oprah Winfrey
1 4 retract negative comments regarding the safety
1 5 of cattle herds in this country and the integrity
1 6 of beef products consumed by the public, and to
1 7 encourage the public to protest sponsors supporting
1 8 her program.
1 9 WHEREAS, Iowa is a leading agricultural state,
1 10 consistently ranking among the top livestock-producing
1 11 states in the nation, including the fifth largest
1 12 cattle-producing state in the union; and
1 13 WHEREAS, farmers and ranchers have contributed to
1 14 this nation's economic prosperity, by creating a
1 15 system unmatched in the world for abundant, safe, and
1 16 affordable production of food and food products,
1 17 including wholesome beef products; and
1 18 WHEREAS, beef is a nutrient-dense food which
1 19 provides high levels of vitamins and minerals
1 20 essential to good health, including protein containing
1 21 necessary amino acids, zinc, iron, phosphorus, and B-
1 22 complex vitamins, including thiamin, riboflavin,
1 23 niacin, B-6, and B-12; and
1 24 WHEREAS, cattle producers and the beef industry
1 25 have instituted changes to provide lean cuts of beef
1 26 which contain 27 percent less fat than ten years ago;
1 27 and
1 28 WHEREAS, unfounded concerns have been expressed
1 29 regarding the safety of United States cattle herds
1 30 because of reports of British cattle herds infected
2 1 with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also
2 2 referred to as "Mad Cow Disease"; and
2 3 WHEREAS, BSE is not present in United States cattle
2 4 herds; and
2 5 WHEREAS, strict precautions have been established
2 6 since 1989 by the Food Safety and Inspection Service
2 7 and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of
2 8 the United States Department of Agriculture to ensure
2 9 that the disease does not enter into this country; and
2 10 WHEREAS, all beef product imports from Britain were
2 11 stopped in 1985; and
2 12 WHEREAS, there is no scientific link between BSE in
2 13 cattle and disease in humans; and
2 14 WHEREAS, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease occurs at
2 15 constant rates of one case per million people each
2 16 year both among vegetarians and consumers of meat
2 17 products, including in nations where BSE has never
2 18 occurred; and
2 19 WHEREAS, in a recent national broadcast of her
2 20 syndicated television program, Ms. Oprah Winfrey
2 21 sensationalized this issue by stating that beef
2 22 products originating in the United States are
2 23 dangerous to human populations; and
2 24 WHEREAS, Ms. Winfrey has recklessly used her
2 25 influence as a celebrity and her position as a
2 26 television personality to misinform the public
2 27 regarding the safety of beef products; and
2 28 WHEREAS, Ms. Winfrey's comments may have distorted
2 29 the market for cattle and injured beef's reputation
2 30 for wholesomeness at a time when American farmers and
3 1 ranchers are suffering from low profit margins for
3 2 cattle due to high cattle inventories and feed costs;
3 3 and
3 4 WHEREAS, Ms. Winfrey's comments appear especially
3 5 uninformed, given that her program originates from
3 6 Chicago, located in an important agricultural state,
3 7 in the city which is home to the Chicago Mercantile
3 8 Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade; NOW
3 9 THEREFORE,
3 10 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That Ms. Oprah
3 11 Winfrey is urged to retract negative comments
3 12 regarding the safety of cattle herds in this country
3 13 and the integrity of beef products consumed by the
3 14 American public, and devote air-time to discussing the
3 15 facts regarding BSE and the nutritional value of beef;
3 16 and
3 17 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That until Ms. Winfrey
3 18 retracts unfair and uninformed comments made about the
3 19 beef industry, the public is encouraged to protest, by
3 20 refraining from viewing her television program and
3 21 purchasing products manufactured by sponsors of the
3 22 program; and
3 23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this
3 24 resolution be sent by the Secretary of the Senate to
3 25 Ms. Oprah Winfrey, sponsors of her syndicated
3 26 television program, and the Chicago Tribune and the
3 27 Chicago Sun-Times.
3 28 LSB 4473SV 76
3 29 da/jj/8
Text: SR00122 Text: SR00124 Text: SR00100 - SR00199 Text: SR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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