Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to reintroduce the Prevention of Antibiotic Resistance Act, along with my colleague Senator Susan Collins. This bill will help to prevent the rise of antibiotic resistant pathogens by ensuring that antibiotics are used prudently and judiciously in the agriculture industry. Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health threat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, estimate that antibiotic- resistant bacteria cause at least 23,000 deaths and 2 million infections each year in the United States. The CDC also estimates that antibiotic resistance costs the United States $20 billion in excess health costs each year. These statistics will only worsen if we do not take meaningful steps to reduce inappropriate and unnecessary antibiotic use. The agriculture industry has long used antibiotics to increase and maintain animal weight gain and feed efficiency. The industry has also relied on administering antibiotics to stave off infections associated with poor biosecurity or sanitation in barns and feedlots. However, based on what we know now about antibiotic resistance, these practices no longer make sense. I am particularly concerned about the rise of antibiotic resistance in foodborne pathogens. Foodborne illness is already a pressing public health problem, and the United States must ensure that agricultural antibiotic use practices do not lead to antibiotic resistance in foodborne bacteria.…”