Congratulating Dr. Lalit Verma on His Retirement

Floor Speech

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Lalit Verma on his retirement from the University of Arkansas Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department.

As a proud alumnus of this department myself, it is my pleasure today to honor Dr. Verma for his distinguished career at the University of Arkansas and everywhere he has studied and taught.

He started in India and continued his academic career at Montana State University and the University of Nebraska. He spent time teaching in Bangkok, in South Dakota, and even made his way down to Louisiana where he spent time at LSU. Thankfully, he made it to Arkansas, where for 23 years, he has left his most significant mark on academia.

Dr. Verma has done an incredible job leading the department and has served in various other organizations, such as ASABE.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Dr. Verma for his distinguished career and wish Dr. Verma and his wife Aruna well in their future endeavors and as they spend more time with their two grandchildren. Food Animal Veterinarian Shortage

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, as a top-ranking State in livestock production, Arkansas is in need of food animal veterinarians like many other places around the country.

In 2022, 25 counties within my district applied for designated shortage area status. Of the 25 counties that applied, only 13 were awarded the status. Food animal veterinarians who practice in these areas are eligible to apply for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, or VMLRP.

Food animal veterinarians are on the decline, and this program is essential to encourage young Americans to consider practicing food animal veterinary.

With the 2018 Farm Bill set to expire in September of this year, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to consider the importance of the VMLRP Program in addressing the food animal veterinarian shortage that poses a concern to my constituents and many of my colleagues' constituents, and also it is critical to the food supply for our Nation.

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