The latest governmental affairs news from the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges

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Summer 2023

Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action and public loan forgiveness

The AAVMC position statement on the Supreme Court's decision on Affirmative Action can be found at aavmc.org. Additional information will be forthcoming on recommended resources to support our member institutions as a result of this ruling.

The subject of student loan forgiveness continues to be a controversial topic which will impact students at our member institutions. However, despite the Supreme Court's block of the Biden Forgiveness Plan, just a few weeks later, the Biden Administration announced relief for borrowers that is a fraction of the original plan. This will likely be an on-going topic and challenge point over the next few months on the road to the presidential campaign season. Learn more about the Biden administration's recent announcement in support of borrowers.

Photo credit - Imagine Photography for AAVMC

Appropriations Update

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have both passed the FY 2024 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration funding bills. A link to them can be found here. AAVMC programs were held at flat funding, including VMLRP and VSGP. The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) was given a $5 million increase. AAVMC will be following the appropriations process and other key programs as congress works through the bills.

DeSantis sues Biden Administration on College Accreditation

Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of college accreditation by the U.S. Department of Education. This is one of several issues facing accreditors across states that are attempting to rein in or eliminate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs. More information on the lawsuit can be found here.

AAVMC continues to be a champion for diversity in academic veterinary medicine. Learn more about our diversity programs here. View, the AAVMC Position Statement on Principles of Inclusion here.

Webinar hosted by AAVMC Government Affairs

On May 10^th, Kevin Cain, the Director for Governmental Affairs at AAVMC, hosted a conversation with the AAVMC community on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. He and Dr. Caroline Cantner, Director for Professional Development discussed the recent and anticipated updates to the program, and the ongoing efforts by the U.S. Department of Education to improve the program. A link to resources from that conversation can be found here.

Note: must have an AAVMC Learn account to access.

Join us today for Advocacy 101 hosted by Kevin Cain, Director for Government Affairs

Date: July 26^th

Time: 3pm ET

FASEB Briefing Update

On April 19^th, AAVMC collaborated with our friends at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) to conduct two congressional briefings on "The Value of Large Animal Research in Biomedical, Veterinary, & Agricultural Research Progress" held on Capitol Hill. Dr. Nicola Mason from Penn-Vet and Dr. Yoko Sato from Iowa State both participated, as the panel helped educate both House and Senate staffers.

The purpose of the series of briefings was to educate Congressional staffers about critical large animal research across a broad range of industries and disciplines essential to our nation’s health and economic stability, including biomedical research, veterinary medicine, oncology and agriculture. The briefing specifically focused on comparative medicine and highly pathogenic avian influenza, including the recent H5N1 outbreak. Guest speakers included Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS); Rep. Tracey Mann (R-KS) and Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA).

Rural Veterinary Workforce Act

The Rural Veterinary Workforce Act was introduced in the House of Representatives last month. This new legislation will help address the shortages in essential veterinary services facing rural communities. Read more here.

AgARDA

The AAVMC has been a longtime supporter of AgARDA - the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority. Please learn more about the recent implementation strategy here and how it relates to the 2018 Farm Bill requirement.

Advocacy Letters

The AAVMC continues to work closely with a wide array of organizations that share our interests in supporting the advancement of academic veterinary medicine, food security and public health. The letters below reflect some of that recent activity.

AAVMC Government Affairs

Please contact: Kevin Cain, Director for Government Affairs at kcain@aavmc.org or 202-371-9195 (ext. 117) with any comments, questions and suggestions about our program.

AAVMC Newsletters

The AAVMC is working hard to create a culture of diversity and inclusion in every dimension of academic veterinary medicine. To foster this goal, the photographs and illustrations which are used in our communications programs are aspirational, and do not necessarily reflect the levels of diversity and inclusion that currently exist.

Sign up here to receive FOCUS, a newsletter that examines prominent issues in academic veterinary medicine. See past issues here.

Sign up for the newsletter of the Council on International Veterinary Medical Education (CIVME) here. Read past issues here.