USDA's own audit slams its mad cow plan

[UpInArms]

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040713-065121-9550r

WASHINGTON, July 13 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's mad cow disease surveillance plan has numerous problems that may have reduced the chances of detecting the deadly disease among U.S. herds, according to a draft report from the agency's inspector general.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., who made the IG report available on his Web site, sent a letter Tuesday to Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman noting the House Government Reform Committee -- on which Waxman serves -- and a separate IG investigation not yet made available to the public, found additional evidence contradicting claims of USDA officials regarding potential U.S. cases of mad cow disease.

The new evidence, contrary to what USDA has claimed, suggests the mad cow discovered in Washington state last December was not a downer, or an animal unable to stand.

The Washington cow has been the only confirmed case of mad cow disease in the United States. If the cow was walking, it could have significant ramifications for the USDA's mad cow testing program, which primarily is focused on downer animals.

"The Inspector General's finding and the additional evidence obtained by the committee have major implications," Waxman, the ranking Democrat, wrote in the letter. "They call into question the credibility of the department's public statements and the adequacy of the department's past and ongoing response to mad cow disease."

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[struggle4progress]

1. kick for health and safety

:kick:

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. God bless Henry Waxman.

And keep him safe.