On December 27, 2020 former President Trump signed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 omnibus spending and Covid-19 recovery bill into law. This package contained funding for the entire federal government, as well as nearly $1 trillion in additional pandemic relief spending. Here’s what it means for academic veterinary medicine:

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The AAVMC was pleased to see One Health language included in the final Omnibus package. That language can be found here. One Health has been a longtime priority for AAVMC and this was one of our major requests during Advocacy Day in 2020. The language gives the new Agriculture Secretary 120 days to submit a report detailing existing collaborative efforts between the FDA, USDA, and other agencies to prevent and respond to zoonotic disease outbreaks in animals and humans, as well as specific activities required to achieve a framework that builds upon, improves, or complements this collaboration.

This may include, but is not limited to, competitive research grant programs; training and support for scientists, first responders, or medical personnel; engagement of nongovernmental entities; and participation in international collaboration and research to assist in establishing a One Health program.

Another AAVMC priority was language regarding antimicrobial resistant bacteria. This language can be found here. The language is also built around a One Health approach and specifically “recognizes the interconnection of human health, animal health, and environmental health, and the threat of novel and emerging zoonotic diseases.”

The AAVMC is already working with the new administration to create relationships with key individuals and agencies. President Biden has elevated the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to a cabinet level position, and selected Dr. Eric Lander as his choice for Director. The President has also already named and sworn in several key staff level positions at the Department of Education, who we will be working with on a variety of issues for the next four years. That list can be found here.

Soon after being sworn in on January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden began signing Executive Orders that will make sweeping changes to immigration, education, defense and other policies. One of those orders was to extend student loan forbearance for an additional eight months.

By winning the two contested Georgia Senate seats in the January 5 run-off election, Democrats took control of the Senate, 51-50 with VP Kamala Harris wielding the tie breaking vote. That means key changes in committee and sub-committee leadership. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) will now chair the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, a committee with purview over much of the legislation important to the AAVMC. On the House side, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was reelected Speaker, but Democrats hold a slim 221-211 majority, with 2 seats vacant and one seat (NY-22) still being contested in the courts.

The AAVMC’s legislative agenda for the 117th Congress has been developed by the Governmental Affairs Office and been endorsed by the board of directors. The document is developed annually in concert with the Advocacy Committee and provides a framework and action plan for the year’s advocacy initiatives. While some details regarding specific funding requests remain unclear as we continue to work with various partners and coalitions, most of the blueprint is complete. The top priorities this year include cultivating support for ongoing pandemic recovery efforts, support for helping recover and rebuild the federal research enterprise, and achieving support for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) and the Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP).