NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Committee Requests CDC Records on the Use of Antibiotics in Animals

Washington, D.C. – The Committee on Energy and Commerce has requested that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) share its position on the use of antibiotics in animals that contribute to the nation’s food supply.

In a letter to CDC Director Julie Louise Gerberding, Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), Chairman of its Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, expressed concern over a proposed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) policy that would approve the use of certain antibiotics in animals intended for the food supply. Experts at public health organizations, including the World Health Organization and American Medical Association, share the view that the use of these antibiotics hastens the development of drug-resistant diseases.

The lawmakers requested a response from the CDC by October 22.

October 1, 2007 letter

-30-