For the last, oh, I don’t know… forever… ranchers and farmers large and small have taken care of their livestock with antibiotics and antimicrobials that were available at farm stores. These medicines treat common illnesses and infections that people who own large animals and livestock are very familiar with and qualified to treat. They have been trusted to do so for as long as these medicines have been available. The first chicken antibiotics were introduced in 1948. Since then, there has been no call nor reason to regulate these items. Many farmers and ranchers tend to many of their animals’ veterinary needs, which is a part of being a responsible animal handler who needs to keep costs down.
It would be ridiculous to take a chicken to the vet. When chickens are sick, you consult with other chicken owners and go buy the needed items to make them well again. It was a good system.
But NOW, the unelected, unaccountable, faceless, nameless, power-hungry monarchs at the FDA have decided that none of our farmers, ranchers, or hobbyists will be allowed to have those medicines anymore without visiting the vet for a prescription. This will cost the farmers tens of thousands of dollars a year in added vet bills, which they will then pass onto the consumer, forcing prices even higher during a time of record inflation.
There was no debate in Congress, no federal law passed, no chance for a town hall or public debate, no reading of a bill, no commercials warning the public so they could stop this encroachment on liberty and sanity. We have been informed by federal decree that this is now our new reality.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released new antibiotic guidance pertaining to animal drugs containing medically-important antimicrobials for use in companion and food production animals that are currently approved for over-the-counter (OTC) marketing.
Under the guidance, FDA stated several antibiotics familiar to ranchers and other livestock owners will no longer be available OTC.
The intent of the new antibiotic guidance is to ensure animal drugs that contain antimicrobials important for humans are not being overused or used incorrectly, said Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Associate Director of Commodity and Regulatory Activities Tracy Tomascik.
“There are many antibiotics used in both human and animal medicine, and there’s concern that overuse or misuse of those medicines can contribute to antimicrobial resistance,” he said. “FDA has been updating its antimicrobial medication guidelines for several years now. This is the latest update in a string of changes to the way ranchers can access medication for livestock use.”
This starts in June of this year. Some have suggested that this is a move to keep people from buying Ivermectin, which has been shown in studies to improve COVID symptoms. It doesn’t matter why they did it; the bigger problem is that no federal agency should be able to institute any sweeping federal mandate without input from the people it affects. This is tyranny.
But perhaps worse than this shocking display of federal f*ckery through the executive branch exercising immense power it should not have is the fact that our representatives are shocked and confused at how this happened. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) replied to a tweet discussing this new rule claiming ignorance. “I mean no slight to you by my reply, but I don’t recall voting on this recently. Was this done at the state level? Too many rules are implemented by agencies these days.”
He’s right that he didn’t vote on this, and the original tweet was wrong that there was legislation. But Massie should take the opportunity to take responsibility for the fact that not one Republican has introduced legislation to end the massive overreach by federal agencies that have been going on forever—but most recently was put into overdrive during COVID. Every single COVID restriction was put upon us without representation by unelected bureaucrats. Not one of those restrictions ever went through the people’s representatives and Massie knows that. What has he done and what will he do to stop it from ever happening again? Massie isn’t fully to blame, of course. He did introduce a bill in February to end the Department of Education. The bill has one sentence.
“The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2023.”
Now, THIS is what we need. Will they pass it when they have the chance? I doubt it. We’ll keep an eye on it. It was introduced into committee as a last action. But now is the time for Massie and anyone else who cares about saving this country to introduce 100 more just like it.
“The Federal Drug Administration shall terminate on December 21, 2023.”
“The Department of Homeland Security shall terminate on December 21, 2023.”
“The Center for Disease Control shall terminate on December 21, 2023.”
And on and on and on. We don’t need federal babysitters. Our states have all the tools they need to regulate their own business with the input of their citizens. It’s time to tell the feds to f*ck right off.
And now the FDA is flexing that power to stick it to the little people barely staying in business. Wars were started over less. And yet, our representatives are busy (checks Congressional schedule) debating more futile laws trying to stop people from using illegal drugs). Are any of these people ever debating laws that will lift restrictions on the public? It sure doesn’t seem like it. Once they get that boot on your neck they just keep stepping on it.
What the FDA has done by instituting this new rule is an attack on liberty itself. It should cause people to flood the streets in protest of a government that is so big it is now openly hostile to the people it claims to serve. This is not representative government. America is broken and I’m not sure anyone in any position of power is serious about stopping it.
THE FDA is under control by the demoRATS and they are acting like we do not live in a free country formed by our founding FATHERS. AOC needs to go-go back to her native country, GO PLAY WITH THE CAMELS and get the HELL out of dodge as the saying goes. FARMERS and RANCHERS have the justified right to care for their animals in the lowest cost to them
Yes the demacrats run these groups. This is why DC can not become a state without forcing all these groups to dissolve. Very few citizens work the farms anymore. The demacrats know the fastest way of control all people is the management of the food supply. This is one of the first steps that the party is doing to bring back what they brought in this country, fought to keep it, and then put in all the Jim crow laws. Yes they want to be the top layers while we are all slaves. Why else would they change the history books.