Harris Statement on Meeting with APHIS Administrator Shea

WASHINGTON, DC: Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) issued a statement after meeting with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Administrator Kevin Shea.  The subject of the meeting was the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which is a serious concern for the poultry industry.

Congressman Harris issued the following statement:

“As the Ranking Member for the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, and as the representative for Maryland’s First Congressional District, where the poultry industry is the backbone of the local economy, I am appreciative of Administrator Shea and his team for their work on this concerning issue and for briefing my team and me on their efforts.  I look forward to our continued collaboration to ensure that the spread of this disease is mitigated in order to prevent the types of mass outbreaks which would devastate our local Delmarva chicken industry.”

APHIS has recently detected several outbreaks of HPAI, which according to the agency “is a serious disease and requires rapid response because it is highly contagious and often fatal to chickens. APHIS works with its federal, state, local and industry partners to quickly mobilize a response to any HPAI findings. The goal is to quickly contain and eradicate the disease, protecting our poultry industry, and in turn, the American consumer.”  In early March, APHIS confirmed the detection of HPAI in a flock of commercial layer chickens in Cecil County. 

Congressman Harris is a past award winner of the Delmarva Chicken Association Medal of Achievement for his work and advocacy in Congress on behalf of the industry’s businesses.

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