Advocating for Academic Veterinary Medicine
The Governmental Affairs program works to secure resources in support of academic veterinary medicine. This includes informing and influencing policymakers and their staff on important issues that affect veterinary medicine’s impact on public health, including biomedical research, agriculture, and animal welfare, as well as both direct and indirect support for colleges of veterinary medicine.
AAVMC Advocacy Documents
The AAVMC periodically produces summaries which detail legislative priorities during Advocacy Day. Please click below to review samples of those documents.
2020 Advocacy Day Priorities
2019 Advocacy Day Priorities
Legislative Agenda
Legislative Agenda for the 116th Congress
A Sustained and Collaborative Effort
Working closely with the government relations officers who serve our members, we monitor, review and respond to federal legislation or regulations that affect veterinary medical education. This includes maintaining a continuous presence on Capitol Hill to inform decision-makers and the public about the critical role that veterinary medical education plays. It contributes to society’s overall quality of life by educating veterinarians who advance medical knowledge, help to recognize and prevent the spread of diseases and pathogens, and protect our nation’s food supply.
We reach out to all branches of government to encourage the development of policies that will benefit veterinary medical education, and to explain the many ways in which such support will also enhance animal and public health.
With input from our Advocacy Committee, the governmental affairs program identifies and addresses critical issues in veterinary medical education, such as the need for increased diversity and the too-burdensome debt load often carried by graduates. Our work includes supporting initiatives designed to encourage a wider spectrum of students, to reduce veterinary medical student debt through public and private support and loan-forgiveness programs, and to recognize the contributions that veterinarians make to our public health system.
Finally, we work to keep the importance of veterinary medical education in the public’s eye through media outreach, public events and Hill briefings that highlight the crucial role that academic veterinary medicine plays in advancing society’s well-being.
Veterinary Medicine Caucus
The AAVMC works with a bipartisan Veterinary Medicine Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. Formed in March 2013, the caucus aims to increase awareness of the importance of veterinary medicine to research, public health, animal health and welfare, food safety and our overall economy. The caucus is led by Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL), who are both veterinarians. The congressmen continue to invite fellow representatives to join the caucus, and the caucus continues to underscore the critical role the veterinary medical profession plays in a healthy society. See a list of caucus members and learn more.
AAVMC Advocacy Newsletters
If you would like to subscribe to the AAVMC’s Advocacy newsletter, please send a request to Jeanne Johnson at jjohnson@aavmc.org.
- Summer 2020 Advocacy Newsletter
- Spring 2020 Advocacy Newsletter
- Winter 2020 Advocacy Newsletter
- Fall 2019 Advocacy Newsletter
- Summer 2019 Advocacy Newsletter
- Spring 2019 Advocacy Newsletter
- Winter 2019 Advocacy Newsletter
- Fall 2018 Advocacy Newsletter
- Summer 2018 Advocacy Newsletter
- Spring 2018 Advocacy Newsletter
- Winter 2018 Advocacy Newsletter
- Fall 2017 Advocacy Newsletter
- Summer 2017 Advocacy Newsletter
- Spring 2017 Advocacy Newsletter
- Winter 2017 Advocacy Newsletter
AAVMC Advocacy Letters
The AAVMC’s governmental affairs department frequently collaborates with partner organizations to inform Congressional and executive branch leaders about important legislation.
- Letter Supporting Nonprofit Association COVID Relief Measures
- Letter Supporting Help for Animal Agriculture
- HHS Letter Urging Extension of Public Health Emergency
- FASHP Letter on Pandemic Related F-1 and M-1 Visas
- Student Loan Debt Cancellation and COVID-19 Relief
- Letter in Support of Funding Increases for PHEP and HPP in FY21 Appropriations
- FASHP Letter to White House – COVID-19
- FASHP Letter to Congressional Leadership – COVID-19
- Letter Supporting Modernization Funding for National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC)
- Homeland Security Letter Supporting 2021 Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA
- Animal Agriculture Coalition Letter Supporting 2021 Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA
- House and Senate S-FAR Appropriations Letters
- Letter Supporting Appropriations in Biomedical Research
- Member Letter We Supported on Behalf of Agricultural Advanced R&D
- Letter Expressing Support for HPNEC Appropriations
- Letter Expressing Support for AMR Funding to HHS Secretary Azar
- Letter Expressing Support for America Grows to Senate Leadership
- Letter Expressing Support for America Grows to House Leadership
- Letter Expressing Support for America Grows to Sen. Durbin
- Letter Expressing Support for Section 1433 Funding
- Letter expressing support for America Grows Act (Senate)
- Letter expressing support for HHS AMR Efforts
- Letter expressing support for Expanding Access to Graduate Education Act of 2019
- Letter from Ad Hoc Council for Medical Research Advocating for NIH Funding
- Letter Regarding the Higher Education Act and Supporting Graduate/Professional Education
- Letter Supporting the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) and Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) Throughout NIFA Relocation
- Letter Supporting the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Letter Requesting a Correction in the Administration of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
- Letter Requesting a Pathway to Citizenship for Undocumented Young People and Those Approved for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
- Letter Supporting Section 3207 Farm Bill Provisions for building FFA and 4-H Capacity in Developing Countries
- Letter Supporting Increased Research and Stewardship for Antimicrobial Resistance
- Letter to House and Senate Agriculture Leadership Expressing Support for Farm Bill
- Letter to House and Senate Agriculture Leadership Expressing Support for Agriculture Research, Extension and Education
- Letter to Senate Conferees Supporting National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program
- Letter to House Appropriations Committee Leadership Regarding proposed NIFA, ERS Relocation
- Letter to Farm Bill Conferees Expressing Support for Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research (FFAR)
- Letter to Congress Opposing Relocation of NIFA Outside of National Capitol Region
- Letter to Secretary of Agriculture Opposing Relocation of NIFA Outside of National Capitol Region
- Letter Supporting TEPLSF Student Loan Debt Relief Program
- Letter to House Appropriations Committee Leadership Regarding proposed NIFA, ERS Relocation
- Letter Supporting Hutchins as USDA Undersecretary for REE
- Letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos supporting PSLF
- American Public Health Association (APHA) Organizations’ letter to U.S. Congress Appropriations Committee leaders supporting investments in antimicrobial resistance in FY 2019 appropriations bills using One Health Approach
- PSLF Coalition Letter Advocating for the PSLF Program
- Group Letter Opposing the Trump Administration’s Rescissions (Funding Cuts)
- Package Group Letter to OMB Director Mulvaney and HHS Director Price regarding NIH Funding
- Requesting $1.35 billion for ARS in FY 2019
- Requesting $10 million in Appropriations for Section 1433 Continuing Animal Health and Disease, Food Security, and Stewardship Research, Education and Extension Programs in FY 2019 Agriculture Appropriations Bill
- Requesting Re-authorization of the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA) and the Animal Generic Drug User Fee Act (AGDUFA)
- Requesting Support for USDA Wildlife Services Funding
- Requesting Support for Re-authorization of Higher Education Act
- Requesting Support for the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act
Legislative Briefings
The AAVMC regularly conducts legislative briefings for Capitol Hill Congressional members and staff, often working in conjunction with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The briefings feature leading scientists who discuss the role veterinary medicine plays in helping address threats posed by infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, the need for increased federal support for biomedical research and other important topics.
Member Institution Economic Impact Information
A number of AAVMC member institutions have developed infographics and other materials which demonstrate the critical role academic veterinary medicine plays in agricultural productivity, public health and economic development in the states they serve.
Institutional Advocacy Materials
The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Michigan College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University
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