'What's The Chances Of Use Of Vaccination?': Grassley Asks Rollins About Possible Screwworm Vaccine

[00:00:00]Thanks for being a spokeswom- spokeswoman for family farmer. I appreciate that.

[00:00:07]It wouldn't surprise you if I was talking about E15. My purpose >> My purpose isn't to put you on the spot.

[00:00:15]My purpose is to get some things on the record from somebody other than the oil and uh ethanol business.

[00:00:25]Uh so we can refute some of the uh lies that are going on about E15. Does the Trump administration support legislation for year-round sale of E15 nationwide?

[00:00:38]>> Yes, the president in a speech he did the first term but then reiterated in the second term in the great state of Iowa a couple of months ago his full and unequivocal support.

[00:00:47]>> Will year-round E15 boost America's rural economy?

[00:00:52]>> Correct.

[00:00:53]>> Have you heard a figure of E15 by law that would uh bring $14 billion back into the farming economy? That's what the corn growers economist has said.

[00:01:06]>> Correct. I have heard that.

[00:01:07]>> Okay.

[00:01:08]>> And I agree.

[00:01:09]>> Uh will E15 give >> [cough] >> give consumers uh cheaper option at the gas pump?

[00:01:17]>> Yes, it will.

[00:01:18]>> Uh in the Midwest it seems to be somewhere between 20 and 40 cents a gallon.

[00:01:25]>> And in a in a time where we're working so hard on affordability, that becomes even more important.

[00:01:30]>> Does year-round E15 boo- bolster our national security?

[00:01:36]>> [clears throat] >> There is no national security without farm security.

[00:01:40]Uh this administration for the first time in the history of our country has put agriculture as part of the national security plan. And so yes, being able to protect uh those farmers and what E15 means to them and opening up a domestic market while we're opening up the international market is a priority.

[00:01:57]>> Uh sen- EPA Director Zeldin testified before another committee in the Senate that uh uh during the 8 years of presidential waiver for E15s, no small refineries have ever shut down. I do know of any information about small refineries shutting down because >> I have not heard of any small refinery shutting down.

[00:02:23]>> Uh it's been a couple months, maybe 3 months since I talked to you about vaccination for screwworms.

[00:02:33]Uh you may not remember that conversation, and I don't expect you to, but we talked about it and you were going to look into it. So, what's the chances of uh uh use of vaccination to get us beyond this because when I called you, there was no screwworms noticed in the United States. Maybe they were here, but they weren't verified.

[00:02:56]>> Right. So, the screwworm is a is a flesh-eating pest and not a virus or a disease, uh but there are so many ways to treat it. First, we eradicate it with a sterile fly technology, which is what we're building out in America and in and in Mexico and in Panama. That's the billion plus dollars that we put into uh into the system uh over a year ago to make sure that that happens. There is ivermectin, there's feed and treatment to uh to basically, which would probably serve like a vaccination, but as far as specific vaccinations. Now, you and I talked about the vaccination on the HPAI when we talked, which is the other sort of big challenge to our chickens, and uh and we had a big conversation about that. We consider we continue to run that down, but the good news with HPAI, still a lot to do, is that in Iowa and other um significant chicken states, egg-laying states, that the case of HPAI has come down almost 60% since last year through the use of biotechnology, etc. Obviously, a move toward vaccination in that lane is continuing to be discussed. There's a lot of a lot of big different opinions on that, so I want to make sure that we get it right. The virus HPAI will often beat and and jump to humans, so that's what we've got to be very careful of, and we're working with partners around the world and seeing what they're doing as well.

[00:04:15]>> Let me give you some advice that you don't have to respond to. In fact, I'd rather not have you respond to it. But, I know that there are voices in the cabinet that don't like vaccinations.

[00:04:29]And from that standpoint, I expect you to speak for agriculture and not listen to any of those other people that might be trying to convince you that for the screw-worm thing, we should be vaccination because they don't know anything about agriculture and you do, and you shouldn't be listening to them. And if you're getting pressure from higher up to do that, let me know so I can I can defend you.

[00:04:56]>> Yes, I can assure you there there is no pressure, but taking very seriously the vaccination to ensure that it actually works and it doesn't cause the virus to mutate to then jump to more dairy cattle, to beef cattle, to other livestock, etc. And if we move too fast, that's what will happen. So, while we're bringing the case of HPAI down through bio um security and through other options, therapeutics, etc. Sir, please know we are in studying very carefully the potential for what that could look like as well.

[00:05:32]>> Okay.

[00:05:33]Last week, your department announced that it would be delaying the poultry grower payment system and capital improvement systems rule making under the Packers and Packers and During your confirmation hearing, I brought up this rule and the others that were finalized under the previous administration. I said then that the Packers and Stockyards Act is the most effective tool to make sure that the marketplace works for the American farmers. You said you would be looking forward to working with me to focus on our small family farmers.

[00:06:11]So, first of all, going back to your uh becoming secretary and maybe going back 10 or 15 years, I've been involved in trying to help these poultry farmers not be screwed by the people that they're producing the chickens for. So, how does this delay help our small family farmers and does this delay help meat packers more than family farmers?

[00:06:40]>> Sir, obviously that was a Biden rule. We are very sympathetic. I am I know you don't have time, but if you were to dig around, you'll you'll see a lot of uh anti-consolidation work from our USDA, whether it is a DOJ investigation into the the big four packers, whether it is a investigation into understanding why a Chinese company owns 1/5 of our pork production, whether it is an investigation and movement and action toward investing in smaller processors, smaller farmers, etc. So, I I don't I may be true of other USDA secretaries, but it sure isn't of me that I'm a defender of of uh of those um those actions. Uh but fully understanding what the challenges are, what that rule did, and and making it better is certainly on my list, and I look forward to working with you on that.

[00:07:29]>> Uh but how does the delay help the small family farmer?

[00:07:35]>> Well, would can I circle back to you on that? I want to get fully up to speed on exactly why. I do know there were some real concerns with the way that the Biden team wrote the rule, and there were some real concerns with the profitability and ensuring we are protecting all American agriculture, but but let me go back and and dig in a little bit more.

[00:07:54]>> I'll let you do that cuz I want to make sure that we consider everything, and you should consider everything, but I'll sum this up by saying that in the USDA's notice in the Federal Register, it said that of the 2,800 comments and 225 unique comments, quote, one large poultry indicator integrator two meat and poultry trade associations support the delay, but the real poultry growers and grower organizations oppose this proposal.

[00:08:34]My last question will deal with this.

[00:08:39]Again, fertilizer as other people brought up, uh I'd like to thank you and Secretary Rollins and the Trump administration for all the work of addressing fertilizer prices. It continues to be a top issue uh in Iowa from lowering tariffs to adding phosphate and potash to the critical minerals list and more. I appreciate all the administration's doing to provide relief and provide use uh support uh and I hope you support my legislation that would provide transparency and and I'm sure you do. I understand that the department is seeking to hire an inputs economist to focus on providing insight to farmers on the prices they pay for inputs for fertilizers imports. An economist uh is the position filled or is it involved in a revolving door?

[00:09:43]>> Well, hopefully I know we've already started interviewing that we're able to really bring in a superstar and build an entire team. We have a whole focus in my office on inputs and this is just one more step I think in the right direction as you all work to pass your legislation.

[00:10:00]>> Okay.

[00:10:01]Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, sir.

[00:10:03]>> Thank you, Senator.

[00:10:04]>> Thank you, Senator Grassley.

[00:10:09]I've got to read my thing so I don't leave out.

[00:10:16]Again, thank you so much for appearing and I think this was a really good session and I think I think everybody learned a lot, which is what these are all about. So we appreciate you being here, your insights in today's hearing and the hearing will remain open hearing record will remain open for five business days. Today's hearing is now adjourned.

[00:10:41]>> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. By the way,