Press Releases
Congressman Sessions Stands with Limestone County Ranchers Against Chronic Wasting Disease
October 13, 2022
MEXIA, TX– Congressman Sessions (TX-17) released the following statement after a meeting held by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), on October 11th, to raise awareness of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in deer populations, within Limestone County:
"My Senior Legal Counsel and Legislative Assistant attended the TPWD meeting on my behalf. I was in Thornton, Texas due to a prior scheduled engagement. Our intention was begin actively monitoring the situation and continue to have an open line of communication with TPWD officials and constituents in TX-17.
Current studies on CWD, by former Texas A&M associate professor of veterinary pathobiology, confirm no evidence of this disease posing a risk to humans or non-cervid wildlife.[1] This disease is not naturally transmissible to non-cervid species, and there is no evidence that CWD is transmissible to humans at all.
Please know that I am NOT in favor of kill orders as a tool to manage Chronic Wasting Disease; NOR am I in favor of quarantine orders that unnecessarily forbid the selling of deer. I believe in working with TPWD to construct a thoughtful solution, which should utilize alternative methods to manage this situation.
The State of Texas received federal funding of $429,597.68 in October of 2021 to develop and implement CWD management and response activities in wild and farmed cervids. It is my responsibility to take these issues to policy makers in Washington.
Moving forward, I intend to work closely with TPWD to reach a thoughtful conclusion. I appreciate the diligence and level of professionalism exemplified by TPWD and other wildlife organizations tasked with halting the spread of CWD."
[1] https://texasdeerassociation.com/fake-chronic-wasting-disease-news-or-scientific-misinformation-on-cwd/
"My Senior Legal Counsel and Legislative Assistant attended the TPWD meeting on my behalf. I was in Thornton, Texas due to a prior scheduled engagement. Our intention was begin actively monitoring the situation and continue to have an open line of communication with TPWD officials and constituents in TX-17.
Current studies on CWD, by former Texas A&M associate professor of veterinary pathobiology, confirm no evidence of this disease posing a risk to humans or non-cervid wildlife.[1] This disease is not naturally transmissible to non-cervid species, and there is no evidence that CWD is transmissible to humans at all.
Please know that I am NOT in favor of kill orders as a tool to manage Chronic Wasting Disease; NOR am I in favor of quarantine orders that unnecessarily forbid the selling of deer. I believe in working with TPWD to construct a thoughtful solution, which should utilize alternative methods to manage this situation.
The State of Texas received federal funding of $429,597.68 in October of 2021 to develop and implement CWD management and response activities in wild and farmed cervids. It is my responsibility to take these issues to policy makers in Washington.
Moving forward, I intend to work closely with TPWD to reach a thoughtful conclusion. I appreciate the diligence and level of professionalism exemplified by TPWD and other wildlife organizations tasked with halting the spread of CWD."
###
[1] https://texasdeerassociation.com/fake-chronic-wasting-disease-news-or-scientific-misinformation-on-cwd/
