REINTRODUCTION OF THE WILDLIFE VETERINARIANS EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ACT OF 2019; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 59
(Extensions of Remarks - April 04, 2019)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E410]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REINTRODUCTION OF THE WILDLIFE VETERINARIANS EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING
ACT OF 2019
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HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS
of florida
in the house of representatives
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce the Wildlife
Veterinarians Employment and Training Act of 2019. This bill will
provide incentives for students to pursue wildlife and zoological
medicine and increases the number of positions available at wildlife
and zoological facilities.
Wildlife and zoo veterinarians are the primary source of essential
health care and management that is required for animals in both their
natural habitat and in captivity. These physicians preserve natural
resources and the lives of animals, while also protecting human health
by preventing, detecting and responding to exotic and dangerous
diseases.
With the intensification of globalization and climate change, along
with the growing interaction among humans, livestock and wildlife, the
threat posed by emerging infectious diseases to humans and wildlife
continues to increase. Controlling pandemic and large-scale outbreaks
of disease has become more challenging over the years, yet there has
never been a time where this is a more pertinent issue.
We must take preventative measures to ensure the well-being of both
animals and humans. In spite of these threats to public health, the
United States faces a shortage of positions for wildlife and zoo
veterinarians. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association
(AVMA), less than one percent of AVMA members identify themselves as
wildlife or zoological veterinarians.
On average, veterinarian graduates owe $143,000 in student loans.
Relatedly, salaries for wildlife and zoological professionals are
relatively low compared to those who practice companion animal
medicine, ranking second to the bottom for salaries paid to
veterinarians as a whole. Lower salaries, combined with high
educational debt and the small number of positions available,
discourage students from becoming wildlife or zoo veterinarians. The
number of internships, practical training programs, and formal
education programs specializing in wildlife and zoological veterinary
medicine are also insufficient.
My bill directly addresses the aforementioned issues, by doing the
following:
Create new positions for wildlife and zoo veterinarians.
Limit the amount of educational debt for veterinary medicine
students, while providing incentives to study and practice wildlife and
zoo veterinary medicine through a scholarship program and a loan
repayment program.
Help schools of veterinary medicine develop curricula and training
programs specializing in wildlife and zoo veterinary medicine.
Develop affordable and well qualified opportunities for individuals
to become wildlife and zoo veterinarians, spur job growth, and promote
public health policy across the nation.
Madam Speaker, as you know, wild animals play a very critical role in
our natural resources and contribute to maintaining a balanced
ecosystem. The number of endangered species has only increased.
Invasive non-native species and infectious disease threaten our public
health. Therefore, wildlife and zoological veterinarians must be
prioritized and given the resources and recognition necessary to
protect both animal and human lives.
I urge my colleagues to extend a helping hand to America's
veterinarians by supporting this important piece of legislation.
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