AAMC STATEMENT ON SEN. COCHRAN'S EFFORTS TO OVERTURN USDA SETTLEMENT
Jordan J. Cohen, M.D., PresidentAssociation of American Medical CollegesOctober 6, 2000
Thanks to the leadership of Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and his colleagues, the misguided settlement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Alternatives Research & Development Foundation (ARDF), which would have expanded the Animal Welfare Act's definition of animal to include rats, mice, and birds, will not become a reality. Sen. Cochran's amendment to the agriculture appropriations bill successfully overturned last week's USDA agreement with animal rights groups. While Sen. Cochran's fix is only for a year, the legislative remedy eases the immediate pressure and furor within the research community and allows for the identification of a long-term solution that is satisfactory to all parties.
The USDA settlement was a severe blow to the hopes of patients and their families who look to medical research as their only chance for relief from the ravages of disease. Millions of dollars and uncountable hours would have been diverted from research to a bureaucratic record-keeping activity that in the long run would have provided no benefit to laboratory animals. Sen. Cochran's actions and the research community's swift response to the USDA settlement will allow for continued scientific advancement that ultimately benefits patients and their families.
Contact: John Parker(202) 828-0975[email protected]
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