Once again, Senator Edward Kennedy, (D-Mass.) has introduced a bill to eliminate the use of some antibiotics in livestock. However, this year it's different. Senator Kennedy is joined by Senator Olympia Snow (R-Maine). This marks the first time the bill is sponsored by a republican. The proposed bill bans the use of eight antibiotics commonly used in agriculture to promote the growth of poultry and livestock, according to the Portland Press Herald. The bill was introduced at the end of July.

The Coalition for Animal Health, along with NCBA and several other livestock industry organizations, oppose legislative bans of important animal health products that have been approved as safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration. In a joint statement, the organizations believe the bill introduced by Senators Kennedy and Snowe is even less appropriate now than when a similar bill was introduced last year.

According to the Coalition for Animal Health (CAH) in the past year, FDA has introduced new requirements for animal drug sponsors to demonstrate that antibiotics used will not contribute to antibiotic resistance. This science-based risk assessment will be applied to all new and existing products, not just the few compounds singled out in this legislation. USDA also has initiated a new program to produce meaningful data on the relationship between antibiotic use and antibiotic resistant bacteria on raw meat. This data will be important in helping our members make even better management decisions about the use of antibiotics. Science-based regulatory efforts are far superior to this legislation in terms of protecting human health and avoiding unintended consequences.