The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs each held hearings this week to discuss the impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza on the agricultural sector.
The Agriculture Committee hearing was held on Tuesday and was announced by Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) The hearing was composed of two concurrent panels testifying on the impact of avian influenza on the U.S. poultry sector.
The first panel included:
- Dr. John Clifford, Deputy Administrator of USDA Veterinary Services
- Dr. David Swayne, Laboratory Director for the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory
Dr. Clifford and Dr. Swayne addressed topics ranging from virus pathology and bio-security to indemnification and state emergency infrastructure.
The second panel included:
- James Dean, chairman of the United Egg Producers
- Ken Klippen, president of the National Association of Egg Farmers
- Brad Moline, manager and owner of Moline Farms LLC
- Rob Knecht, president of Michigan Allied Poultry Industries
- Thomas Elam, president of FarmEcon LLC
The second panel discussed the economic impact that the virus has had on poultry farmers in affected states and ways to improve response when a facility becomes infected. A full video and witness testimonies may be found here.
The Homeland Security and Government Affairs hearing was held on Wednesday and was led by committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WS) and Senator Thomas Carper (D-DE).
Witnesses testifying at the hearing included:
- Dr. John Clifford, Deputy Administrator of USDA Veterinary Services
- Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (CDC)
- Christopher Currie, director of Homeland Security and Justice at the U.S. Government Accountability Office
- Dr. Jack Gelb, Jr., director of the Avian Biosciences Center at the University of Delaware
- Scott Schneider, president of Wisconsin Poultry and Egg Industries Association
Witness testified on bio- and food security topics such as emergency preparedness, state and federal response capabilities, and indemnification protocols. A full video and witness testimonies may be found here.
