WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley
(R-Iowa) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), members of the Senate Agriculture
Committee, led their colleagues in a bipartisan push for more funding to help
address the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak. As of Friday,
the HPAI outbreak has impacted around 19 sites across Iowa, affecting 13
million birds – more than any other state.
“HPAI has been detected in 32 states
across the country and has killed over 36 million birds. Although the virus
poses minimal risk to human health, it has serious implications for U.S.
poultry producers, rural communities, and our agricultural economy,” the senators wrote to Senate
Appropriations Committee leaders.
“Given the recent outbreak, the ongoing
increase in confirmed HPAI cases, and the likelihood of further spread, we urge
the Subcommittee to make funding for the APHIS avian health program a high
priority. These funds are critical to continue HPAI response measures,” the senators concluded.
In addition to Grassley and Klobuchar,
the
letter
was also signed by Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Bob Casey
(D-Pa.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.),
Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).
As one of only two farmers to serve in
the Senate, Grassley has long worked to provide Iowa farmers with needed
resources to address livestock diseases and economic disruptions. Grassley
quickly
spoke
with Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig after the first case was announced
to coordinate the state and federal response. When an avian flu outbreak struck
Iowa in 2015, Grassley worked to
secure assistance for impacted producers and
pressed
the Agriculture Committee chairman to hold a
hearing
on the issue.
The full letter is available
HERE.
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