BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA – U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today announced his membership in the inaugural Senate Veterinary Medicine Caucus. The bipartisan caucus, co-chaired by Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), will raise awareness of veterinarians’ contributions to society and challenges facing their industry, including a growing shortage of public service and rural large animal veterinarians. Iowa is home to the oldest veterinary college in the U.S. and one of the largest veterinary research facilities in the country, located at Iowa State University in Ames.
“Our nation relies on veterinarians to keep animals healthy and promote a healthy and abundant food supply,” Grassley said. “Veterinarians’ important work makes them a trusted voice in the food and ag industries. Thanks to the creation of this caucus, Washington will benefit by bringing the input and expertise of veterinarians to the policymaking table.”
The caucus will emphasize the importance of the veterinary profession and how veterinarians support public health, the food supply and medical research. Veterinarians play a crucial role in clinical practice and in non-clinical roles, including the federal inspection of meat, poultry and seafood products; comparative medical research benefitting both people and animals; and animal and zoonotic disease prevention, detection and response.
In addition to Grassley, Hyde-Smith and Klobuchar, the caucus includes Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).
-30-