FDA Restricts Farmers from Animal Care Without Expensive Vet Approval

Since, um, I don’t know… forever… farmers and ranchers of all sizes have treated their livestock using antibiotics and other antimicrobials available in farm stores. These medications treat common diseases and infections, which people who own livestock and large animals are familiar with. Since these medicines were first available, they have been trusted. In 1948, the first chicken antibiotics appeared. Since then, these products have not been regulated. Farmers and ranchers are responsible animal handlers who need to control costs. They tend to the veterinary needs of many animals.

It is absurd to take a sick chicken to the veterinarian. You consult other chicken owners when your chickens get sick and then go out to buy the necessary items. It was an excellent system.

But now, the FDA’s unelected, unaccountable, and power-hungry rulers have decided that no farmer, rancher, or hobbyist will be able to get these medicines without a vet’s prescription. The farmers will be forced to pay tens or even hundreds of thousands in additional vet costs each year. They will then pass these costs on to the consumer. Prices will rise during this time of record inflation.

No debate was held in Congress. There was no federal law that passed. There were no town halls or public discussions. There were no public warnings. Federal decrees have informed us that this will be our new reality.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released new guidance on animal drugs that contain medically important antimicrobials and are approved for OTC marketing.

According to FDA’s guidance, several antibiotics that ranchers and other livestock owners are familiar with will no longer be available OTC.

According to Tracy Tomascik, Associate Director for Commodity and Regulatory Activities at Texas Farm Bureau (TFB), the new guidelines are intended to prevent animal drugs containing antimicrobials that are important for humans from being misused or overused.

He said, “There are many antimicrobials used both in human and animal medicine. There is concern that misuse or overuse of these medicines can lead to antibiotic resistance.” The FDA has been updating antimicrobial medication guidance for many years. This is just the latest in a series of updates on how ranchers can get medication for their livestock.

It will begin in June. Others have said that the move is to prevent people from purchasing Ivermectin which, according to studies, improves COVID symptoms. No matter what the reason, the real problem is that federal agencies should not be allowed to impose sweeping mandates without the input of the people they affect. This is tyranny.

The fact that our elected representatives are confused and shocked at the way this has happened is perhaps even worse than the shocking display of federal f*ckery by the executive branch, which wields immense power. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., responded to a Twitter discussion of this new rule by claiming ignorance. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I can’t remember voting on this issue recently. Was this done on the state level? “Agencies are implementing too many rules these days.”

He is right to say that he did not vote on it and that the tweet that said there was legislation was incorrect. Massie must take full responsibility for the fact no Republican has ever introduced legislation to stop the massive overreach of federal agencies, which has been ongoing forever but was accelerated during COVID. Unelected bureaucrats imposed every COVID restriction on us. Massie is aware that none of these restrictions were ever put through the representatives of the people. What has Massie done, and what will be his next move to prevent this from happening again? Massie’s not entirely to blame. In February, he introduced a bill to abolish the Department of Education. The bill only has one sentence.

The Department of Education will cease to exist on December 31, 2023.

This is the answer we are looking for. Will they vote for it? I doubt it. We’ll be keeping an eye on this. The bill was presented to the committee as a final action. Now is the time to get 100 more like this one introduced by Massie, and anyone else that cares about saving our country.

The Federal Drug Administration will cease to exist on December 21, 2023.

The Department of Homeland Security will cease to exist on December 21, 2023.

The Centers for Disease Control will cease to exist on December 21, 2023.

It goes on forever. We don’t require federal babysitters. The states are equipped with all the tools necessary to run their own businesses, and they can do so by incorporating the opinions of their citizens. It’s high time we told the federal government to get off our backs.

Now the FDA is using its power to punish the small business owners who barely manage to stay in business. Wars have been started over little. Our representatives are debating futile laws to try and stop people from using drugs (checks the Congressional calendar) while they’re busy. Do any of these people debate laws that would lift restrictions for the public? It doesn’t look like it. Once they have your boot on, they will keep on stepping on it.

The FDA’s new rule, which it implemented, is an attack against liberty. This should make people flood the streets to protest a government so large that it has become openly hostile toward the people they claim to serve. This is not representative governance. America is broken, and I don’t think anyone in a position of authority is seriously trying to fix it.