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Healthcare Reform Update

By Dr. Mark Lutschaunig, Director of the GRD

Much has happened with healthcare reform since I last updated you in September. The Senate Finance Committee passed their version of healthcare reform, and the Senate leadership is working to combine the Finance Committee bill with the bill passed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. The bill then goes to the Congressional Budget Office to determine the cost of the legislation.

Once that is done, Majority Leader Harry Reid must find 60 votes just to begin debate on the bill. This does not guarantee passage of the bill as Senator Reid and the Democrats need 60 votes to invoke cloture, which would cut off debate on the bill and allow a vote to approve or defeat the measure. Senator Reid may have difficulty securing the votes, as Senate Republicans are solidly against the bill, and a number of moderate Democrats are concerned with the cost.

House Democratic Leadership have combined the legislation passed by the House Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and Labor Committees. They plan to bring the bill to the full House in early November. Given the strong Democratic majority in the House, this bill should pass. However, if there is a "Public Option", the vote will be very close.

A good source of information on the healthcare debate can be found at The Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation. Since this will impact every AVMA member in one way or another, I urge you to review the information and contact your Member of Congress to express support or opposition. You can find your Member's information at the AVMA-CAN Government Action Center. The GRD will be closely monitoring the legislation and will continue to work with our coalition partners to address any concerns with the legislation.

For more information, please contact Dr. Mark Lutschaunig at mlutschaunig@avma.org.

FTC Delays Red Flags Enforcement to July 10; Legislation Moves through House

By Gina Luke, Assistant Director of the GRD

With the red flags enforcement date looming, members of Congress convinced the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to delay enforcement from November 1 to June 1, 2010. The announcement was posted at www.ftc.gov

On October 20, the U.S. House of Representatives approved by a 400-0 vote legislation (HR 3763) that will exempt veterinary offices and other health care practices, as well as certain law and accounting firms with fewer than 20 employees, from the red flags identity theft guidelines. The legislation would also allow the FTC some flexibility to waive implementation of the regulations for other industries.

In a news release, the bill's sponsor Rep. John Adler (D-NJ), a member of the House Financial Services Committee said, "Small businesses are the backbone of New Jersey's economy. During these tough economic times, the federal government should not be placing new burdensome regulations on these hard-working entrepreneurs. I am committed to helping small businesses thrive."

Rep. Christopher Lee (R-NY), a cosponsor of HR 3763 said, "By passing this fix today, Congress can provide the FTC a clear definition of how Congress intended the policy to be enacted and protect small businesses and their customers from unnecessary government intervention." Adler and Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) made oral remarks on the floor of the House chamber about the bipartisan commonsense bill that have been posted to YouTube.

The AVMA, along with the American Dental Association, the American Medical Association and the American Bar Association, is seeking companion legislation in the U.S. Senate to assure passage and enactment of a law providing an exclusion from these red flags guidelines. Without a new law signed by President Obama or a fifth postponement of enforcement by the FTC, veterinarians will be expected to comply with the Red Flags Rule beginning on June 1, 2010.

Now we await action by the Senate Banking Committee which was unable to act before Nov. 1 on similar legislation exempting certain businesses including, as in the House bill, "a health care practice with 20 or fewer employees," which includes thousands of veterinary offices. A legislative aide to a House sponsor said Oct. 29, "Currently the legislation is pending in the Senate, and we expect the bill will be signed into law shortly."

The FTC says health-care practices may be "creditors" as defined under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003. The agency says the term includes "any entity that extends or renews credit – or arranges for others to do so – and includes all entities that regularly permit deferred payments for goods or services" In AVMA's view, the FTC's interpretation goes beyond the intent of Congress by considering non-financial services-related industries to be "creditors".

Once HR 3763, which is a more inclusive version and supersedes Rep. Adler's previously introduced bill dealing with Red Flags, HR 2345, was introduced in the House it moved rapidly to a vote. View the list of members who missed the vote.

For more information visit the AVMA website or contact Gina Luke at gluke@avma.org.

Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act Placed on "Hold"

By Dr. Angela Demaree, Assistant Director of the GRD

Animal Welfare issues and legislation are anything but routine inside the beltway. Most bills go through a routine process before being signed into law. In general the process is: (1) introduction into the House and/or Senate, (2) referral to relevant committee(s) and subcommittee(s), (3) hearings are held to hear arguments for and against legislation, (4) subcommittee and full committee markups are held to amend the legislation as needed, (5) passage in the House and Senate, (6) the bill language is reconciled if it is not identical between both Chambers, and finally (7) signed into law by the President of the United States.

This process however, often becomes complicated by political maneuvering. A few weeks ago, I found myself fielding phone calls one evening from Senate staff inquiring about and confirming the AVMA's position on S. 727, the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act as introduced by Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.). It turned out that there was an attempt to circumvent due process by bringing the bill to the Senate Floor for a vote before Hearings or Committee debate had occurred-otherwise known as "hot-lining" a bill. S. 727 did not go for a vote on the Senate floor because several Senators objected by placing a "hold" on the bill. This means that the bill will not move forward until the Senators' objections are reconciled.

As a reminder, the AVMA OPPOSES the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act because it does nothing to improve the welfare of the horses it intends to protect. It is our belief that passage of this bill will create a series of unintended consequences that negatively impact the health and welfare of the horse. You have to look no further than national magazines and your own local newspapers to see evidence of the negative impact on the unwanted horse population:

From The New York Times, February 2009: "Hard Time for Horses" —

"This is definitely a very bad time to be a horse," Ms. Kanciper said, confirming the negative development — driven by panicky, cash-strapped owners and an unforgiving economy — that has uprooted Maple and an as-yet-unknown number of his species."

Take Action today to remind your Members of Congress that with passage of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY2010, Congress directed the Governmental Accountability Office to study the issue of Horse Welfare and report back by March of 2010.

The AVMA is dedicated to improving the welfare of ALL animals and believes that it is important to get the information back from the GAO study before taking legislative action on this multifaceted issue.

For more information, please contact Dr. Angela Demaree at ademaree@avma.org.

AVMA Urges CDC to Give H1N1 Vaccine Priority to Veterinarians

By Dr. Ashley Shelton, Assistant Director of the GRD

In light of the vaccine shortage combined with the threat of an H1N1 influenza pandemic, the AVMA is urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to expand their targeted recipient list of those who are eligible to receive the H1N1 vaccine. Due to the susceptibility of the swine population and the ability of the pandemic virus to spread from humans to pigs and/or within pig populations, veterinarians and workers who deal with swine are at increased risk for contracting the virus and spreading it across both the human and swine populations.

Based on those concerns, the AVMA has teamed up with the American Association of Swine Veterinarians to request that the CDC give priority access to available vaccination to veterinarians and workers who deal directly with swine. [Read the joint letter.] Nine House of Representative members also co-authored a letter to the CDC, asking that pork producers and swine veterinarians be included among those who are given priority access to the H1N1 vaccination.

On October 21, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing on H1N1, entitled "H1N1 Flu: Monitoring the Nation's Response." Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and Arne Duncan, Secretary of the Department of Education, were witnesses.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the lead agency on issues related to public health and the vaccination strategy with the CDC directing the effort through science-based decisions. According to HHS, 46 states have reported widespread level of flu activity, while the remaining states are at elevated levels. An enhanced surveillance system and expanded testing capabilities allow HHS to monitor changes in the virus across the United States and the world. HHS maintains the website www.flu.gov, which shares scientific information in multiple languages and is updated on a regular basis. Flu season officially began October 4.

For more information, please contact Dr. Ashley Shelton at ashelton@avma.org.

Using Social Media for Advocacy

By Stephanie Fisher, Grassroots Coordinator

As social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter become more widely used, you would think it would be easier to communicate your messages to the masses, but the reality is these tools can actually make it much harder. They are so easy to use that people are inundated with information from all sides. It's easy to follow a Twitter feed or become a fan of a Facebook page, but it's just as easy to delete messages from your inbox.

If we want to use social networking to successfully advance our advocacy goals, we have to give members a reason to listen to us and we need to listen to them. After all, the difference between communication and marketing is that communication is a two-way street.

So many Facebook pages are ineffective because the content is static. Throwing up a Facebook page with the basic information about your organization won't give you results. The AVMA-CAN Facebook page shows interaction between the members who have "friended" the page and the content creators. The Facebook page is a great way to easily follow the efforts of the AVMA-CAN. We need to keep followers updated on the actions the CAN is taking to help members and keep them informed about the issues and how they are affected.

But the most important Facebook features are the tools that take these pages from a marketing-based traditional Web site to an interactive networking page. Facebook not only allows easy commenting on posts as you would on a blog, but it also allows for someone to "like" a post with a click of the mouse. This may seem like something fairly inconsequential, but people are far more likely to use this fast and simple form of feedback, and it clues us into what issues are resonating with followers of the page.

Another important tool is "share feature." When a follower comments on a post, their friends see it and followers of the page can link to posts with a click of a button to their own Facebook page, exposing us to a new audience of potential followers and members. Checking out the page, participating in a discussion and sharing the information with your friends and colleagues can go a long way in building an active online network.

As we continue to grow our grassroots networks, we need to keep in mind that social networking is such a rapidly changing field. Facebook and Twitter may rule now, but no one can predict what the next big social networking tool will be and how it will change the way we communicate. All we can do is work to build strong relationships with our members. Even though the tools may change with the technology, the basic principles of communication and advocacy remain the same.

For more information, please contact Stephanie Fisher at sfisher@avma.org.

Stephanie Fisher joined the AVMA in last month and will assist in growing the association's grassroots advocacy capacity. Stephanie has extensive social networking experience and has worked in London and New Zealand and for the USDA.

State Legislative Mid-Year Report Now Online

Every year, state legislatures consider thousands of proposals. So far in 2009, state legislators have introduced 142,000 bills, with 27,300 adopted into law. Of course, a good number of these proposals affect animals in some way, and in some cases, veterinary medicine specifically. The State Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Department in the AVMA Communications Division has just published its mid-year report highlighting significant bills and regulatory decisions. You can access the report by clicking here. The AVMA monthly state legislative updates, along with mid-year and year-end reports, are posted here.

LAC & PAC Board Visit Washington

The past few weeks have been chock-full of 'round-the-clock work in Washington, D.C., and the AVMA Governmental Relations Division has been busy as bees swarming in the hive. Last month, among the many happenings in and outside of our office, GRD hosted the AVMA Legislative Advisory Committee (LAC) and the Political Action Committee (PAC) Board. Members in both committees are veterinarians from around the country, representing all aspects of veterinary medicine. It's invigorating – and always educational – to have them in our office and to hear their stories from the front lines of protecting animal and public health.

During the LAC meeting, committee members, AVMA staff and crucial stakeholders discussed pending legislation and made recommendations about which legislation the AVMA should support (or not support, as the case may be). The recommendations go to the AVMA Executive Board, which sets AVMA policy. The AVMAPAC Policy Board is tasked with overseeing AVMAPAC – setting policy and strategic direction for what has become one of the most powerful PACs in the agriculture services and products sector.

The veterinarian committee members also spent an afternoon on Capitol Hill, visiting the offices of their senators and representatives. The feedback we've been receiving from these visits is astoundingly positive. Every contact our members make with offices on the Hill, even with those who are not our allies, yields dividends. We're confident that more and more Members of Congress are tuning into the essential value of veterinarians, and it's because of exactly these types of encounters.

Finally, nothing caps off a visit to Washington like a good party. To further promote the AVMA's legislative agenda, we hosted a cocktail reception at the Capitol Visitors Center on October 20. The well-attended reception bubbled with interesting conversation. Several members of Congress were in attendance, and key staff members were there as well.

The work of advocacy is rarely boring and, every once in a while, we get to enjoy ourselves.

-- Eric McKeeby, Government Relations Communications Manager

Legislative Update

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