AVMA and AAVMC applaud first-ever Senate Veterinary Medicine Caucus
(WASHINGTON, DC) August 10, 2023 The U.S. Senate has established a Veterinary Medicine Caucus for the first time in its history. The caucus will focus on increasing awareness toward veterinary-related matters in Congress, educating lawmakers and their staffs about the challenges facing the profession, and advancing legislation that benefits the veterinary community.
The bipartisan caucus will be led by co-chairs Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). In years past, the House Veterinary Medicine Caucus led the way in introducing key legislation that impacts veterinary medicine such as the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act, formerly known as the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act, One Health Act, where key components of the legislation were enacted into law, and the Healthy Dog Importation Act. The Senate caucus will extend these efforts to their side of the chamber while also helping secure important funding for veterinary-related federal programs.
"Promoting, protecting, and advancing the veterinary profession are three of the AVMA's guiding principles and we are thrilled that the Senate has established a Veterinary Medicine Caucus that will help to achieve these goals in Congress," said Dr. Rena Carlson, AVMA President. "Veterinarians have the unique perspective as health professionals who play a leadership role in protecting the health of animals, humans, and the environment, and amplifying this perspective is critical to the well-being of our society.
"The AVMA and American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges are dedicated to working with the caucus and its co-chairs to raise awareness of the essential services veterinarians provide and the legislative challenges facing our community," said Dr. Carlson. "We thank Senators Hyde-Smith and Klobuchar for their leadership and continued support in Congress."
Sens. Hyde-Smith, Klobuchar, and the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges issued the following statements:
"The challenges facing the veterinary profession have the potential to harm broad segments of our society, particularly in rural America where a growing shortage of large animal veterinarians is critical. We formed this bipartisan caucus to focus attention on those issues in order to develop and enact policies that make this vital industry stronger," Senator Hyde-Smith said.
"Veterinarians provide a critical service to farmers, ranchers, and families," said Senator Klobuchar. "The bipartisan Senate Veterinary Medicine Caucus will give Congress new opportunities to work with veterinarians across the country to better support medical advancements, protect our nation's food supply, and ensure the prevention of animal disease."
"AAVMC is very pleased to see the formation of this new Senate Vet Med Caucus and appreciates the support of Senators Hyde-Smith and Klobuchar as co-chairs," said Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe, CEO, AAVMC. "We look forward to working with them and the other members of the Caucus. Together, we will continue to protect and improve the health and welfare of animals, people and the environment around the world by advancing academic veterinary medicine."
Serving more than 105,000 member veterinarians, the AVMA is the nation's leading representative of the veterinary profession, dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of animals, humans and the environment. Founded in 1863 and with members in every U.S. state and territory and more than 60 countries, the AVMA is one of the largest veterinary medical organizations in the world. Informed by our members' unique scientific training and clinical knowledge, the AVMA supports the crucial work of veterinarians and advocates for policies that advance the practice of veterinary medicine and improve animal and human health.
About AAVMC
The member institutions of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) promote and protect the health and wellbeing of people, animals, and the environment by advancing the profession of veterinary medicine and preparing new generations of veterinarians to meet the evolving needs of a changing world. Founded in 1966, the AAVMC represents more than 40,000 faculty, staff, and students across the global academic veterinary medical community. Our member institutions include Council on Education (COE) accredited veterinary medical colleges and schools in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand as well as departments of veterinary science and departments of comparative medicine in the U.S.