Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 525, the Veterinary Public Health Amendments Act. Although we may not know it, our health depends, in part, on a small army of veterinarians working in public health. Their role was never clearer than during the H1N1 virus outbreak. We now see that diseases can travel from animals to humans seemingly overnight. Public health veterinarians are our frontline of defense against another outbreak. They inspect our slaughterhouses, prevent a foot-and- mouth disease outbreak from devastating our economy and our agriculture industry, and protect our citizens against the threat of bioterrorism. Unfortunately, our current workforce cannot meet these public health challenges. In the next 20 years, experts predict a shortage of 15,000 veterinarians; and between 2006 and 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the demand for veterinary services will increase by 35 percent. Something must be done to protect our national health by preventing and controlling infectious diseases, ensuring the safety and security of the Nation's food supply, promoting healthy environments, and providing health care for animals. H.R. 525 will help to ensure that we have a more robust veterinary public health workforce. The bill has two main components: loan repayment for veterinarians who commit to teaching or to working in public health and a new fellowship program for public health veterinarians.…”