CLF Research Fellow Testifies Before Senate Committee

Washington, DC—Jay Graham, PhD and CLF Research Fellow, was one of six panelists asked to speak recently before a U.S. Senate Committee investigating antimicrobial resistance in the US.

“Antimicrobials play an essential role in the fight against infectious bacteria that can cause disease and death in humans,” Dr. Graham told the committee. “Their role, however, is being jeopardized by the current practice of feeding low doses of antimicrobials to billions of animals.” Dr. Graham is co-author of a report, “Antibiotic Resistance and Human Health,” for the recent Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production.

“This practice of feeding antimicrobials to animals began before we understood how resistance can spread,” noted Dr. Graham, calling antimicrobials a “precious resource that should be safeguarded.”

Also testifying before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) were: Dr. Fred Tenover, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Rear Admiral Linda Tollefson, Food and Drug Administration; Brandon Noble, retired NFL player; Dr. Lyle Vogel, American Veterinary Medical Association, Dr. Patrick Brennan, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America; and Dr. Barry Eisenstein, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

A video and audio recording of the Senate Committee hearing is available at the HELP Committee web site. The complete text of Dr. Graham’s statement is available on the CLF web site.