**Testimony of**

**Congressman Charles W. Stenholm**

**to the**

**House Committee on Agriculture**

**Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry**

**May 8, 2007**

**Congressman Charles W. Stenholm**

**Ericksdahl, Texas**

Chairman Boswell, Ranking Member Hayes, and Members of the Committee, I
appreciate the opportunity to testify here today on behalf of all animal
agriculture. There is an old saying that there are two things you should
not see being made: laws and sausages. This Committee has the job of
making laws about sausages -- laws that help animal agriculture in
protecting animal welfare.

If you eat or wear clothes, you are affected by agriculture. The
industry remains an important part of the United States economy, and
according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), animal products
account for the majority (51 percent) of the value of U.S. agricultural
products, exceeding \$100 billion per year. As a farmer and rancher, I
believe in the significance of the agriculture industry and in the value
animal agriculture producers put on the safety and welfare of their
livestock.

The Kentucky Derby was this past weekend, and I'm sure many of you
watched it. With over 130 years of racing history at Churchill Downs, it
is clear that the owners, trainers, and riders of the Derby care about
the welfare of their animals. I'm sure many of you went to zoos as a
child or will bring your children and grandchildren to one this summer.
In fact, more people attend zoos every year than all sporting events
combined, and the caregivers at zoos nationwide care about the welfare
of their animals. Many of you probably remember the first time you saw
the circus and may attend when it comes here. The Ringling Brothers and
Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation has one of the most
successful breeding programs for endangered Asian elephants outside of
Southeast Asia. They care about the welfare of their animals. Just like
these groups of animal owners, production agriculture has not been given
the credit it is due by animal "rights" activists, and we, too, care
about the welfare of our animals. There is one thing that everyone
agrees on: all animals should be treated humanely from birth to death.

**[Background]{.underline}**

You will hear testimony today from several livestock producer
associations, and they all care about the same thing: **ensuring the
health and well-being of their animals is their number one priority.**
The livestock industry has worked hard both from a legislative
standpoint and through industry guidelines to improve animal welfare
conditions. Animal agriculture constantly works to accept new
technologies and science and apply them to the industry, investing
millions of dollars every year to ensure the wellness of their
livestock. Producers recognize the need to maintain animal welfare
regulations for the safety and nutrition of their livestock, for the
conservation of the environment, and for the profitability of their
operations. But those regulations should be **based on sound science
from veterinary professionals that best understand animals, working
together with legitimate animal use industries.**

Many of the livestock groups have quality assurance programs in place.
For example, the New Jersey Legislature and Department of Agriculture
commissioned Rutgers in 2003 to perform a study on veal calf production,
and experts at the land grant university concluded that the Veal Quality
Assurance program and the principles behind it were scientifically
sound. The poultry industry also continues to work on a united front to
maintain a high level of oversight on animal welfare issues that ensures
all employees practice the industry guidelines that were adopted. The
animal agriculture industry continues to strive to improve animal health
and welfare through scientific research, educational outreach, advocacy,
legislation, and regulations.

**[Society of Untruths]{.underline}**

While the livestock industry has a long history of supporting animal
welfare, many activist groups such as PETA, the Humane Society of the
United States (HSUS), and Farm Sanctuary have used falsehoods and scare
tactics to push their hidden agendas of fundraising and systematically
abolishing all use of animals, including production agriculture, zoos,
circuses, and sporting events. These groups campaign for animal
"rights," which is not synonymous with animal welfare, using half-truths
or complete deception. For example, according to the American Veterinary
Medical Association (AVMA), Farm Sanctuary charged veal farmers in New
Jersey of malnutrition practices because of the absence of fiber in
their calves' diets. However, a coalition of dairy farmers, animal
nutrition specialists, and dairy extension specialists at Rutgers
University testified that it is typical to not give calves fiber because
it is not healthy for a calf's developing digestive system.

These groups also fail to mention the millions of dollars in fundraising
and assets that drive their misguided goals. HSUS has accumulated \$113
million in assets; has a budget three times the size of PETA's; and
according to the ActivistCash website, has more than enough funding to
finance animal shelters in all fifty states, yet only operates one
animal sanctuary, Black Beauty Ranch in Texas, which is at full
capacity. According to the *Wall Street Journal*, two offshoots of HSUS
spent \$3.4 million on Congressional elections and ballot initiatives,
which is more than Exxon Mobil Corp. And there is an ongoing
investigation by the Louisiana attorney general to determine if the \$30
million in HSUS fundraising during the Hurricane Katrina crisis has been
handled appropriately.

These activist groups use the platform of animal "rights" to advocate
for regulations so strict that they will put animal agriculture out of
business (which is their real goal). A video recently circulated to
Members of Congress and a video produced by HSUS make numerous false
claims against the livestock industry. For example, the videos suggest
that horses are inhumanely transported on double-decker trailers.
However, a law exists that has banned the use of double-decker trailers
for transporting horses on their way to slaughter, and if a horse does
arrive on one of these trailers, the processing facilities will not
accept it. In addition, numerous truck drivers invested in new trailers
that comply with the law, and animal agriculture stepped up once again
to improve animal welfare conditions.

Another example of the misleading rhetoric by animal "rights" activists
involves the process of "captive bolt" euthanasia. The previously
mentioned videos claim that captive bolt is not humane. However, the
2000 report of the AVMA's Panel on Euthanasia specifically approves the
use of captive bolt as a humane technique of euthanasia for horses. It
is also an approved method of euthanasia for pork, cattle, and lamb. The
captive bolt method meets specific humane requirements set forth by
AVMA\'s Panel on Euthanasia, USDA and the HSUS Statement on Euthanasia
because it results in instantaneous brain death, and it is generally
agreed to be the **most humane** method of euthanasia for livestock.

Watching the end of life for any living creature is not a pleasant
experience, even when performed in the most humane manner. However,
these groups continue to use human emotion and sensationalism to pry on
the public's sensitivity in order to reach their goal of abolishing
animal agriculture.

**[Protect America's Farmers and Ranchers]{.underline}**

Unfortunately, we all know mistakes happen and laws are broken. I will
not try to convince you otherwise. But when these unfortunate incidents
occur, appropriate actions should be taken. **We should not get in the
habit of creating arbitrary, uninformed, and emotionally based
regulations** on an industry who's livelihood depends on the health and
well-being of its animals. We should not tie the hands of researchers
and investors that continually seek improvements in animal welfare
practices, and we should not tie the hands of producers who work night
and day to ensure the quality of life of their livestock so they can
provide this country and others with the most abundant, safest, and most
affordable food supply in the world.

Professional experts such as the AVMA, AAEP, and USDA continue to have
their expertise questioned by animal "rights" activists who line their
own pockets with donations secured by exploiting and distorting the
issues. These groups throw sensationalistic and often staged photos in
the faces of those who do not understand it and ask them to give money
to save the animals. But what they do **not** do is use their millions
of dollars in fundraising to build animal shelters, provide research for
new technologies and procedures or provide **truthful** information to
consumers about the animal agriculture industry. Emotions run high, and
with continued antics by activist groups the ultimate outcome will be
devastating. If animal "rights" activist groups continue to be
successful like we have seen in recent months with the closing of U.S.
horse processing facilities, abandonment of animals will increase,
animal welfare will decline, honest and legal businesses will close,
America's trade balance will worsen, jobs will disappear, family
heritage and livelihood will be stolen, and the best interest in the
welfare of animals will be lost.

As the Agriculture Committee, it is your job to keep science and best
management practices at the forefront of your decisions when developing
legislation. Emotional, feel good policy is not reasonable for the
agriculture industry. As a Committee, you are tasked with providing the
type of environment for your agriculture constituents that allows them
to have a manageable, profitable, and healthy livestock industry.