[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 164 (Wednesday, November 12, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S14810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. COCHRAN (for himself, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Allard, 
        Mr. Ensign, and Mr. Crapo):
  S. 1858. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct 
a loan repayment program to encourage the provision of veterinary 
services in shortage and emergency situations; to the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, the United States is experiencing a 
serious shortage of veterinarians in rural agricultural and inner-city 
areas. Veterinarians are needed in these areas to support our Nation's 
defense against bioterrorism, improve food safety, and prevent disease 
outbreaks. Unfortunately, the financial constraints of loan repayment 
obligations prevent many new veterinary graduates from working in these 
underserved areas.
  Today, I am pleased to introduce, along with the distinguished 
Senator from Iowa, Mr. Harkin, legislation that addresses these 
challenges. The bill authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to assist 
veterinarians in repaying their educational loans if they agree to 
provide veterinary medical services in areas where the Secretary has 
determined that a shortage of qualified veterinarians exist.
  In addition, at the request of the United States Department of 
Agriculture, the bill authorizes the Secretary to provide additional 
loan repayment for those veterinarians in this program who agree to 
provide services to the Federal Government in emergency situations. 
When epidemics of animal diseases break out in specific locations in 
the United States, there is often a serious shortage of trained 
veterinarians available to respond. Examples include the Exotic 
Newcastle Disease outbreak in California and an outbreak of low 
pathogenic Avian Influenza in Virginia in 2002. This legislation would 
enable the Department of Agriculture to locate trained veterinarians 
where they are needed in an emergency situation.
  This legislation has the support of the Department of Agriculture and 
the American Veterinary Medical Association which have worked together 
to develop this legislation to ensure that we have the veterinary 
health professionals available to protect our food supply. This is an 
important step in resolving the serious shortage of veterinarians.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I am pleased to join the chairman of the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Senator Cochran, to 
introduce the National Veterinary Medical Service Act. This bill will 
offer veterinarians a valuable opportunity to serve where they are 
needed most, while receiving help in paying off their often burdensome 
student loans.
  The cost of becoming a veterinarian is tremendous. Unless aspiring 
veterinarians come from a wealthy background, they will have 
accumulated substantial debt by the time they leave school. Because of 
this debt, their postgraduate opportunities for employment are greatly 
limited to the geographical areas and types of jobs where incomes meet 
the burden of student loan repayment. By defraying some of this debt, 
this bill will help veterinarians to take jobs where there are 
shortages of veterinarians--such as meat and poultry inspectors in the 
Federal Government, or in rural areas where large animal practitioners 
are needed.
  Many of these unfilled positions are essential to ensuring the health 
and food security of Americans. We need to keep the Federal Government 
staffed with skilled veterinarians in order to maintain a safe food 
supply and the health of our livestock and poultry. We have all seen 
the devastating effects diseases such as E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella 
and Foot and Mouth Disease can have on the livestock and poultry 
industries and the human and economic toll they can take.
  I have worked on many initiatives to address the uneven distribution 
of medical professionals. Although it often can require extra 
incentives to get these professionals where they are needed, they often 
transform these shortage areas by providing critically important 
services. I have been very happy with the ability of past bills to 
enable medical professionals to go where they are needed, and I am 
confident the National Veterinary Medical Service Act will be as 
successful for veterinarians. I am proud to cosponsor this bill, and I 
urge my colleagues to support it.
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