04/03/2025
From the AVMA today
Dear colleagues,
Yesterday, we learned about significant personnel cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services, including at the FDA CVM, CDC and NIH. As an example, we were told that reductions in force (RIF) at the FDA CVM alone affected 143 individuals (many of whom are veterinarians).
The AVMA was immediately contacted by our members and multiple news outlets. We have made it clear in our responding statements that we are extremely concerned about these RIFs, which have caught up not only highly qualified veterinarians with unique skillsets, but also include some very senior veterinary federal agency leadership. We believe the resulting loss in expertise and institutional knowledge will deeply inhibit the ability of these federal agencies to continue the critical and expansive work that protects and supports animal, human, and environmental health.
I believe we all see the value of improving operational efficiency; however, that value is quickly lost if the essential functions of an organization are not preserved. We are concerned that activities within our federal agencies that reflect their statutory mission, and that are critical for meeting that mission, will be negatively impacted by the RIF decisions made this week. These include oversight and processes related to drug availability; efforts to mitigate antimicrobial resistance; assurance of the safety of animal and human food; disease control (including, but certainly not limited to, avian influenza); international trade in safe, quality products; and more. At the same time that these personnel cuts are directly and negatively affecting the professional and personal lives of our federal colleagues, their anticipated ramifications are serious and touch every segment of our profession.
The AVMA is actively seeking to work with members of Congress and the administration to ensure that key positions and functional units are restored and that the essential functions they perform—which are critical to protecting animal and public health, and the safe and effective practice of veterinary medicine—can continue.
We are working diligently to obtain more detail around the extent and impacts of these RIFs, and are reaching out to and actively communicating with legislators, their staff, and administration officials to emphasize the importance of our federal veterinarians, their roles, and the work they do. We commit to keeping you informed as we learn more.
Thank you all for your service to our patients, clients, colleagues, and our shared profession.
Sandra Faeh, DVM
President
