WASHINGTON -- Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., a member of theSenate Agriculture Committee, has introduced into the Senatebudget bill a provision that would ban distribution, sale anduse of bovine somatotropin (BST) until Sept. 30, 1994.

There had been virtually no support for the measure fromDemocrats on the Senate Agriculture Committee. But Feingoldhas threatened to take his marbles and go home, and withouthis vote, the committee would have been deadlocked alongpartisan lines, Tom McDermott, director of public affairs for theanimal science division of Monsanto, told BioWorld. (Monsantomanufactures BST). Such is the horse trading that can go onduring budget battles.

To become law, House conferees would have to support themeasure when the House and Senate conference committeesget together to vote on the president's budget.

"I don't know of any House conferees who are supporting themoratorium," Tim DeCostra, an aide to conference committeemember Harold Volkmer, D-Mo., told BioWorld.

Volkmer, chairman of the livestock subcommittee of the HouseAgriculture Committee, "is strongly opposed to themoratorium," DeCostra told BioWorld. But he and McDermottagreed that the closer the vote on the budget, the more likelythat principal could succumb to politics.

"I think it's very important to Senator Feingold, and it's in a billthat has a lot of other things that other people care about," saidMcDermott. "It depends on how many votes (the Democrats)need at the end."

If the growth hormone ban remains in the final budget, "therewill be shock waves in all of biotechnology," said McDermott. Itwould shake companies' and investors' faith in regulatorypredictability if Congress were to jump into the fray.

House conferees include Democrats Volkmer, Chairman E. de laGarza of Texas, Timothy Penny of Minnesota, Charlie Rose ofNorth Carolina and Dan Glickman of Kansas. The Republicansare Bill Emerson of Missouri, Steve Gunderson of Wisconsin andPat Roberts of Kansas.

-- David C. Holzman Washington Editor

(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.