Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I am pleased to join Senators Moran and King in reintroducing the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act of 2013. This legislation comes in response to a Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, interpretation of the Controlled Substances Act, which requires veterinarians to treat animals with controlled substances at the location in which they are registered. This interpretation of the law is very burdensome to both farmers and veterinarians, and it shows a lack of common sense by the DEA. In many cases a sick animal such as a horse, cow or pig cannot be transported to the veterinarian's office, and has to be treated on the farm or even in the pasture. When a larger animal is ill and needs treatment it has been common practice for the veterinarian to make a house call to treat the affected animal. The ability for veterinarians to make house calls is a key component in the ability to effectively treat livestock animals. I am very concerned about the problems we face in the diversion of controlled substances especially powerful narcotics. However, efforts to control the diversion of controlled substances need to take into account the needs of legitimate patients whether human or livestock. Forcing a farmer to load a sick animal into a trailer for a trip to the veterinarian's office is not a practical solution to ward off the diversion of controlled substances.…”