Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, Chairman Conaway, and Ranking Member Peterson, I am grateful for the opportunity to be here today and speak on this amendment.

Chronic wasting disease is a wildlife health disorder impacting the cervid populations in 24 States, including Pennsylvania. The disease attacks the brain and nervous system of these animals, which include deer, elk, and mule and moose species, and always results in death.

Currently, we don't have a way to live test, and there is no cure or vaccine for the disease.

First identified in Colorado in the 1960s, CWD, as it is known, wasn't detected in Pennsylvania until 2012. However, the problem continues to grow as the State Game Commission has found a doubling of instances between 2016 and 2017.

If this trend continues, we will see devastating impacts on our cervid populations as well as related ecological consequences.

Title VII, the research portion of the farm bill, provides important support for innovation, research, and development at our Nation's land grant universities and agricultural colleges.

To help wildlife managers and States combat the problem of CWD, my amendment simply adds chronic wasting disease to section 7208, high- priority research and extension initiatives.

According to the CBO, this amendment would have no change in direct spending or revenue. However, this amendment would help focus some resources toward chronic wasting disease research.

A number of organizations have endorsed this amendment, including the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Wildlife Management Institute, The Quality Deer Management Association, National Deer Alliance, National Wildlife Federation, and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

I appreciate the opportunity today to offer this amendment and request the support of my colleagues.

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Will the gentleman yield?

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for that question. It is an important part of this discussion. Actually, first of all, it is important for people to understand that, let me just say upfront, chronic wasting disease is not transmitted to humans. There is no case of that. I know that wasn't your question, but I think that is important. It is not transmitted to humans.

I think it is important for those who might be listening to understand that. I don't want to create a fear factor here.

The research of the USDA so far shows there has never been a documented case of a farm deer transferring CWD to wild population.

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Will the gentleman yield?

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. All farm deer must be CWD certified, meaning testing for over 5 years, to be eligible for interstate shipment and commerce, and there is a USDA Federal rule, all farm deer in the Federal herd certification program must test 100 percent of their death loss for CWD, and State and Federal fish and wildlife agencies test a low percentage of wild deer for CWD.

So the focus on this is the wild deer. If a farm deer is determined to be CWD positive, in almost all cases, the entire herd is put down, as you had mentioned in your experience, leaving the farmer without a source of income or business.

The goal of the amendment, however, I think would help in that situation because the goal of the amendment is to find a live test or a cure for CWD since scientists believe it is naturally occurring in the wild. If we had a vaccine, we could then increase the number of sportsmen and -women in the field to help with the Pittman-Robertson funds that go to conservation.

The total economic impact of the farmed cervid industry is $7.9 billion a year in the U.S. and employs almost 57,000 people who contribute greatly to rural American, State, and certainly Federal economies as well.

The outcome of this would benefit both farm but also wild CWD instances and cases, and prevent them.

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Will the gentleman yield?

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Yes.

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I yield back the balance of my time.

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