Nick Begich
51:35 - 52:03
"The underlying cause is straightforward. IHS does not have explicit statutory authority to provide or fund the basic veterinary services—rabies vaccination, spay and neuter, parasite and disease prevention—that stop zoonotic disease before it reaches a person and prevent the bite that puts a child in an emergency room."
“The underlying cause is straightforward. IHS does not have explicit statutory authority to provide or fund the basic veterinary services—rabies vaccination, spay and neuter, parasite and disease prevention—that stop zoonotic disease before it reaches a person and prevent the bite that puts a child in an emergency room.”
- Speaker
- Nick Begich
- Timestamp
- 51:35 – 52:03
- Source
- House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs (Begich): Legislative Hearing
- Community
- Alaska News
- Captured at
- June 9, 2026
From the transcript
Across the Indian Health Service, Alaska has some of the highest dog bite-related hospitalization numbers in the country. The underlying cause is straightforward. IHS does not have explicit statutory authority to provide or fund the basic veterinary services—rabies vaccination, spay and neuter, parasite and disease prevention—that stop zoonotic disease before it reaches a person and prevent the bite that puts a child in an emergency room. H.R. 8473 Fixes that gap.
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