The Executive and Government Relations Committees joined USAHA in DC in late March to meet with government agencies involved in animal health.  At the time of the meeting, there was a lot of concern about the status of positions in those federal agencies that affect our ability to test for animal diseases.  We are closely monitoring the reductions in force and are extremely concerned about the status of positions in key agencies, and the effects the reductions in force will have on our labs. On the positive side, in speaking with staffers with the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committees, there Although NAHLN staff and FDA Vet-LIRN positions have thus far been protected, loss of NAHLN staff due to the Deferred Resignation Program (accelerated retirement option), and loss of support staff and senior leadership in FDA brings questions about how the programs will be administered.

remains a commitment to funding the Farm Bill and NAHLN efforts because the importance of our labs in protecting animal health and trade is well-recognized. 

A key message that we heard in a recent meeting focuses on how interconnected all of APHIS and VS services are and how devastating large funding cuts are to agencies that already have problems with staffing. Beyond 10% reductions, services will have to get cut, yet all of the services depend on one another to function.   To respond appropriately to emergencies, like HPAI and emerging threats, we have to have the lab infrastructure for surveillance and disease detection. Our international trade requires a credible lab system for us to prove that we’re free of disease or have the disease under control. Without NAHLN and the work that many of you do on a daily basis these things aren’t possible. Many thanks to AVMA Government Relations Division, our lobbyist Brad Mollet, Bruce Akey, Pat Halbur, Keith Poulsen, and other leaders for getting the word to Congress about the importance of NAHLN and NADPRP. The advocacy work will be critical for some time, so if you have any questions about how you can help efforts, please reach out to Bruce or Keith as co-chairs of the AAVLD Government Relations Committee. I know that many of you may be looking at significant budget cuts as a result of the loss of federal funding, but please recognize how important your work is to animal health.