Over spring break 2001, I visited Washington, D.C., to "shadow" two veterinarians working in the political arena, Dr. Mark Abdy and Dr. Elizabeth Parker. Dr. Abdy, who received his DVM and PhD in pathology at the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, is serving a one-year term as a Congressional Science Fellow. Dr. Parker, a Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine graduate, was last year’s Congressional Science Fellow. The Congressional Science Fellow Program is sponsored by the AVMA and the AVMF (American Veterinary Medical Foundation) and allows one veterinarian per year to serve in Washington as a resource on either the personal staff of a Congressman or on the staff of a congressional committee. The October 15, 2000, issue of JAVMA featured the program and the Fellows’ presence at the 2000 AVMA convention.

I spent the first day with Dr. Abdy, who has worked until recently as a member of Congressman Sherwood Boehlert’s (R-NY) staff. Congressman Boehlert is the chairman of the House Committee on Science. Dr. Abdy will serve the rest of his fellowship in a staff position on the Environment, Technology, and Standards Subcommittee of the Science Committee.

Our day began at the White House where he had managed to get us tickets for a tour. Being inside the White House looking out over the front lawn was quite impressive, to say the least.

Back at his office he briefed me on some of the issues he is involved with, one of which is the Dairy Compact. This is a regulatory authority in the New England states that protects dairy farmers from low federal milk prices. He is working in support of a proposed bill to reauthorize and expand the compact to additional northeastern states, as well as the creation of a second compact of southern states. A non-veterinary issue that he is working on is retention of K-12 science and math teachers. Several teachers who had just received teaching awards from the President spoke on this issue at a full committee hearing which we attended.

The next day I spent with Dr. Parker. She enjoyed her Congressional Fellow experience so much last year that she stayed in Washington and is now a staff member on the House Committee on Agriculture. She was a small animal practitioner for 7 years prior to her stint in Washington, and still keeps her skills sharp by working at an emergency clinic on weekends. She is heavily involved in veterinary issues and recently was the veterinary resource for a comprehensive report on antimicrobial resistance as an emerging public health issue. This was done for the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress.

Some of the many issues she works with are: food safety, listeriosis, rabies, the Farm Bill, and the voluntary flock certification program and interstate movement restrictions for scrapie. With all the concern over Foot and Mouth Disease and BSE, she has been very busy in these areas. Just before I visited, there were hearings regarding Sen. Thomas Daschle’s (D-SD) effort to establish a commission to study controls for FMD and BSE, which APHIS and the National Cattlemen’s Association are opposed to. Dr. Parker has even helped get protection for the dogs used in APHIS customs inspection work.

One of the highlights of the day was meeting Angus, a retired APHIS inspector beagle. Angus was given to the Agriculture Committee by APHIS in appreciation for their efforts, and he spends his days in the office of the staff member that he lives with. I was quite surprised to see not only a government dog, but several other dogs that come to work daily in the congressional buildings.

My trip would not have been complete without visiting the Washington AVMA office, which shares space with the AVMF (American Veterinary Medical Foundation) and the NAFV (National Association of Federal Veterinarians). The AVMA office, officially known as the AVMA-GRD (Government Relations Division), is comprised of 3 areas. There is a lobby group, a grassroots group, and a political action committee group.

April Demert, the Policy and Program Specialist, showed me around and enlightened me on the great things done by the groups. They monitor both legislative and regulatory issues pertaining to the veterinary field so they can keep veterinarians informed. Many times these are things that might go unnoticed, and are often business-related issues. Just a couple of days before I arrived, the office had been instrumental in successfully overturning an OSHA regulation, pushed through in President Clinton’s last days, that would have severely impacted private practitioners with cumbersome and unnecessary requirements.

I was lucky to spend some time with Dr. Niall Finnegan, Director of the AVMA-GRD. A graduate of Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine and former member of the Army Veterinary Corps, he enthusiastically relayed many success stories the division has had, as well as some hurdles they face. I left convinced that the Government Relations Division performs a vital service for the AVMA as the veterinarians’ voice in Washington.

My Washington experience was quite fascinating, awe-inspiring, educational, and a lot of fun. I would highly recommend a trip like this. There are externships available through the AVMA Government Relations Division. The externships are for 4 weeks and require the student to be a SCAVMA member. The timing is flexible. There are 3 $1000 stipends for these positions, funded by the AVMF. For more information, contact April Demert at ademert@avma.org.

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