Mann Pushes Congress to Reduce Risk, Prioritize Animal Health Research in Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Tracey Mann (KS-01) took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to stress the importance of adequately investing in animal health research in the upcoming Farm Bill. Rep. Mann argued that these investments position the U.S. to allocate more resources to outbreak prevention rather than outbreak control, allowing Americans to see a higher return on their tax dollars by protecting the nation’s food supply and limiting animal disease outbreaks before they spread. The Big First District of Kansas is home to part of the animal health corridor that leads the U.S. in world renown research and development, including Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biosecurity Research Institute, and the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. Rep. Mann has spoken on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives 26 times to fight for his priorities in the next Farm Bill.
Rep. Mann has long advocated for provisions related to animal health research to be included in the House Agriculture Committee Farm Bill including making critical investments into the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program, the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank, and the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, also known as the three-legged stool. Rep. Mann also fought to include language that allows the Secretary of Agriculture to offset animal disease traceability costs from producers, through the National Disease Preparedness and Response Program. Both provisions invest in animal health to prevent additional reactive spending on outbreak control. The House Agriculture Committee is scheduled to markup the Farm Bill on May 23.
Transcript
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to continue calling attention to the need for Congress to pass a comprehensive, five-year farm bill that provides certainty to our agricultural producers while responding to market changes and strengthening the agricultural safety net.
My priorities for the next farm bill have not changed. It is in the best interest of our American farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers to authorize a Farm Bill that protects and strengthens crop insurance, incentives agricultural trade programs that help America remain competitive and secure, conducts rigorous oversight and rolls back overly restrictive regulations, and supports agricultural research and development. Investing in agricultural research and particularly animal health research, supports our nation’s food security, and ultimately our national security.
That is especially true today as the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus spreads across wildlife, poultry, and dairy cattle around the country. My staff and I remain in close contact with USDA regarding the spread, and we are grateful for USDA’s efforts to control the outbreak. However, it emphasizes the reality that animal health often does not get the attention it deserves.
Luckily, HPAI has no proven impact on our country’s food supply, but we are starting to see the economic impact of the virus. Late last month, Colombia became the first country to restrict U.S. beef imports coming from states where HPAI is present. As of yesterday, at least 22 states had issued some restrictions on the importation of dairy cattle from the affected states. By actively investing in research of animal disease, we have the opportunity to allocate resources to prevention rather than outbreak control. These investments serve as a more cost-effective approach to protecting our nation’s food supply by limiting animal disease and outbreaks before they spread.
For years, Kansas has led the United States in supporting global food security initiatives. Just last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture opened a state-of-the-art National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas. The facility will conduct research into serious animal disease threats and the potential impact of those diseases. It is the only maximum biocontainment space in the country where USDA conducts comprehensive research, develops animal vaccines and anti-virals, and explores diagnostic and training capabilities. This facility is just down the street from my alma mater, Kansas State’s, School of Veterinary Medicine and the Biosecurity Research Institute.
These institutions are the crown jewels of the animal health corridor, creating a scientific hub where world renown research happens, leading the world in agricultural research and health.
American farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers understand that to turn a profit, we must embrace the idea of innovating, adapting, and increasing efficiency. According to USDA, agricultural research returns $20 in benefits to the economy for every public dollar spent. We save American tax dollars and the risk of disrupting our food supply chain when we adequately invest in agricultural and animal health research. Despite this, federal funding has declined in real dollars over the past two decades while other forms of research have increased. If we continue down this path, we will not only hurt our agricultural producers, but also American consumers, American food security, and in turn our national security.
We must ensure the Farm Bill addresses the risks to animal health and better positions us to invest in prevention rather than outbreak control. Investing in animal health research bolsters the long-term ability of U.S. animal agriculture to be competitive in the global marketplace, provides consumers with safe, wholesome, and affordable food, and ensures agriculture thrives in America.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Click here to download Rep. Mann’s full remarks on the House Floor
Click here to view Rep. Mann’s Commitment to the Big First
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