The fact that "downer" cows could be non-ambulatory due to the fact they could have BSE (mad cow disease), salmonella, E. coli or other diseases means that these cattle could potentially harm humans if consumed.
Congressman Goodlatte has consistently opposed the banning of "downer" cows from being processed for human consumption. As experienced in 2003 with a sharp decline in beef exports, disease outbreaks in cattle can also have a profound effect on the cattle industry as a whole. Large beef importers such as Japan and Mexico have refused in the past to purchase beef imports from the United States due to a mad cow disease outbreak in 2003.
The Sam Rasoul for Congress campaign believes we must be diligent not to let powerful lobbyists and special interests impact the quality of our nation's food supply by preventing proper oversight. Not only do we risk endangering the health of our citizens, but we also risk damaging our agricultural industries.
USDA not only hasn't protected us from "downer cows" in the food supply but has allowed beef processing plants to keep their distribution lists from public view. In other words, we don't know where the meat was distributed. These companies would rather face a massive recall (much after the fact) than make the distribution public.