[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 121 (Thursday, July 26, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S10146]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING DR. W. RON DeHAVEN

 Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I wish to recognize Dr. W. Ron 
DeHaven, Administrator of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service, APHIS. As Administrator for the last 3 years, he has ably 
carried out the agency's mission of protecting american agriculture.
  As a strong leader of APHIS' domestic safeguarding efforts, Dr. 
DeHaven has been the public face of USDA's effective, science-based 
response to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, BSE, in the United 
States. He has brought strong leadership skills to increasing U.S. 
preparedness to deal with avian influenza viruses in our poultry 
industry and ensuring that APHIS maintains robust emergency response 
and antismuggling programs designed to prevent the establishment of 
exotic pests and diseases of agriculture in our country.
  Dr. DeHaven serves as one of USDA's principal liaisons to the 
Department of Homeland Security. He has worked closely with his 
colleagues there on a number of fronts, including agricultural 
commodity inspections at our Nation's ports of entry and the joint work 
of USDA and DHS officials at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center off 
Long Island, NY. The work of the researchers and diagnosticians at the 
Center ensures our nation is prepared in the event of a detection of a 
highly contagious foreign animal disease, such as foot-and-mouth 
disease or classical swine fever.
  The agency's role has been shaped on the international front under 
Dr. DeHaven's direction. He has spearheaded efforts to stop the spread 
in poultry of the Asian strain of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian 
influenza. He has also advocated for improving international animal 
disease response infrastructure, traveling extensively to create a 
coalition of like-minded developed countries to work with the United 
Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, and the World 
Organization for Animal Health. Dr. DeHaven helped push for 
implementation of a Crisis Management Center at the FAO's headquarters 
in Rome, with the goal of coordinating global H5N1 response efforts. I 
believe that the U.S. poultry industry is better protected as a result 
of his efforts.
  Dr. DeHaven's integrity, dedication, and professionalism have 
represented the United States proudly in all of these endeavors. He has 
consistently championed U.S. agriculture in all of his international 
relationships and activities.
  We congratulate him on his retirement from the Federal Government, 
and thank him for his 28 years of service with APHIS.

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