010610 USDA Wants to Hire 300 More VetsJune 6, 2001Washington - The Agriculture Department wants to hire 300 new veterinarians and inspection personnel to strengthen U.S. defenses against foot-and-mouth and mad cow disease. The White House asked Congress for $35 million to pay for the new employees, as well as buy new X-ray machines and train more dogs to inspect luggage at airports. Among other duties, the new personnel are to inspect farms that feed food waste to hogs, considered a likely way to spread foot-and-mouth disease. Swill feeding is legal in 33 states and Puerto Rico. “Given the various animal disease outbreaks in other parts of the world this year, USDA has been conducting a top-to-bottom review of its core programs to ensure we have the necessary resources to protect American agriculture,” Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said. Earlier, Veneman authorized $32 million in new spending to hire 350 additional inspectors and dog teams. The United States has been free of foot-and-mouth since 1929 and has never had a case of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Foot-and- mouth is harmless to people but mad cow is linked to a fatal human illness. Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota has called for a ban in imports of meat and livestock and this week asked the General Accounting Office to investigate USDA's preparedness.
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