Leadership Quote by Randy Neugebauer

“Dragging its feet” is the kind of phrase politicians love because it turns a technical trade dispute into a character flaw. Randy Neugebauer isn’t arguing policy so much as staging a moral trial: Japan isn’t merely cautious, it’s lazy; it’s not weighing risk, it’s “ignoring” America’s good-faith “steps.” That framing matters because beef safety is one of those arenas where science, public fear, and national pride collide. By insisting the U.S. has already “ensure[d] a safe beef supply,” Neugebauer tries to close the debate in advance, treating safety as settled fact rather than contested public trust.

The subtext is leverage. The line signals to domestic constituencies - ranchers, meatpacking, farm-state voters - that he’s fighting for market access, not just principle. It also nudges Japan into a diplomatic corner: if Japan keeps restrictions, it’s cast as acting in “disregard” of “prior trade pacts,” a phrase that quietly upgrades the dispute from health regulation to breach of commitment. That’s an important escalation, because it invites retaliation and frames any U.S. pressure as enforcement, not bullying.

Contextually, this rhetoric fits the long shadow of mad cow disease-era bans and the recurring U.S.-Japan negotiations over beef imports. Neugebauer’s intent is to transform Japan’s precaution into disrespect, and to turn American exporters’ impatience into a story about fairness. It works by swapping uncertainty for certainty, and negotiation for culpability.