Mike Johanns's Quotes

Science is the international language, so when we are able to convince countries that good decision-making for human health and animal health is based upon science, that's a real success story for us.

The big producer is going to figure out how to deal with whatever the rules are, but the little guy who is running a few hundred units or maybe feeding 1,500 cattle a year, how will they ever comply with these requirements?

There is a tremendous amount of support for the approach we have taken, which again is to base our decisions on risk analysis and thoughtful scientific process.

This president has said this has to be a priority for our nation, protecting our food supply from terrorist acts, so he continues to provide the funding that is necessary.

We asked ourselves and the world to base decisions on good science, and I really believe the United States can be the leader in delivering that message to our international trading partners.

We're going to do everything possible to make sure that food safety is always paramount, and that we work with the industry as aggressively as we can to make sure that we're paying attention to the food-safety issues.

Growing up on a dairy farm, you certainly learn discipline and a commitment to purpose.

We had Taiwan, Egypt, Lebanon, and Oman open their markets to our beef, and we're excited about that.

The president has been a true friend of the ag industry, because he continues to invest large amounts of money at a time when savings is really the goal of the federal government to deal with the deficit.

Food safety involves everybody in the food chain.

I ended up being the governor of a very ag state, Nebraska.

I meet with people in the industry on an ongoing basis.

In 75 foreign countries, we have a presence in the USDA.

In beef trade issues, we base our decisions upon science.

My goal with the Canadian border is the same goal I have for Japan and Korea.

On the professional side, those 18 years on the farm instilled my love for agriculture.

People enjoy our meat and our poultry, as I do as a consumer.

Producers are so much better-educated in issues related to terrorism.

The goal is to normalize trade relations based on sound science and consumer protection.

The industry is becoming very ready for animal identification.

The meat and poultry industries are outstanding industries, and it's going to be a very natural fit for me.

The world is really figuring BSE out, and that's positive.

There is a certain amount of momentum that is achieved when one country after another reopens their borders.

Today, we can tell people we have a testing process and facilities in place on a nationwide basis.

We need to always be vigilant on the sanitary issues.

When one cow was found with BSE in 2003, many of our trading partners closed their borders to our beef.