[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12] [House] [Pages 16935-16936] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2010 Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2999) to amend the Public Health Service Act to enhance and increase the number of veterinarians trained in veterinary public health, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 2999 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Veterinary Public Health Amendments Act of 2010''. SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH IN CERTAIN PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE PROVISIONS. (a) Public Health Workforce Grants.--Subsections (b)(1)(A) and (d)(6) of section 765 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295) are amended by inserting ``veterinary public health,'' after ``preventive medicine,'' each place it appears. (b) Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program.-- (1) In general.--Subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 776(b)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295f- 1(b)(1)) are amended by striking ``public health or health professions degree or certificate'' each place it appears and inserting ``public health (including veterinary public health) or health professions degree or certificate''. (2) Technical correction.--Subparagraph (A) of section 776(b)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295f- 1(b)(1)) is amended by adding ``or'' at the end. (c) Definition.--Section 799B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(27) Veterinary public health.--The term `veterinary public health' includes veterinarians engaged in one or more of the following areas to the extent such areas have an impact on human health: biodefense and emergency preparedness, emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, environmental health, ecosystem health, pre- and post-harvest food protection, regulatory medicine, diagnostic laboratory medicine, veterinary pathology, biomedical research, the practice of food animal medicine in rural areas, and government practice.''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey. General Leave Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New Jersey? There was no objection. Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today, Mr. Speaker, in strong support of H.R. 2999, the Veterinary Public Health Amendments of 2010. Veterinary medicine is an important component of our human public health system. From H1N1 to SARS to food safety, public health veterinarians are critical to our protection of human health. This bill would ensure that veterinary public health professionals are eligible for two important public health workforce programs, but only to the extent that the work of these veterinarians has an impact on human health. I commend Representative Baldwin for her leadership on this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support the bill. I reserve the balance of my time. {time} 2130 Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2999, the Veterinary Public Health Workforce and Education Act, would take important steps to increase the number of public health veterinarians. Food animal veterinarians play a vital role in public health, and experts have said that there is a major shortage. This shortage will have a negative impact on our public health, including the safety of our Nation's food supply. This legislation will help us solve that problem. H.R. 2999 would allow those seeking veterinary public health degrees to be eligible for public health workforce loan repayment programs. It would also permit the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award training grants to increase the veterinary public health workforce. On committee we worked in a bipartisan basis to ensure that it is crystal clear that our Nation's food animal veterinarians will be eligible for programs under this bill. We need more food animal veterinarians, and this will help us get there. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I also yield back the balance of my time and urge passage of the bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2999, as amended. [[Page 16936]] The question was taken. The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it. Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn. ____________________