Securing Our Agriculture and Food Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Donovan and Ranking Member Payne.

Last year's outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza forced a tough and heartbreaking reality for many folks in Iowa's Third Congressional District, all over the State, and in districts across the country.

Iowa suffered the largest animal disease outbreak in State history, devastating many farmers and producers by wiping out millions of layer hens, turkeys, and backyard flocks.

Now, as the Federal Government scrambled to respond to last year's events, efforts revealed problems with their ability to react quickly and communicate with stakeholders. I heard from numerous farmers, producers, and other stakeholders frustrated by this lack of communication and delay in action. Response efforts to the outbreak also highlighted concerns about our country's ability to share information and quickly respond to potential agroterrorism threats and attacks.

Now, as our Nation faces global and complex national security challenges, agroterrorism as well as future large-scale animal disease outbreaks pose serious threats to our food, agriculture, and livestock industries in the United States.

I introduced the Securing our Agriculture and Food Act, H.R. 5346, in order to address this issue by securing our Nation's agriculture industry, food supply, and ultimately protecting our consumers, our families, across the Nation.

This agroterrorism preparedness legislation requires the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to elevate preparedness of our Nation's food, agriculture, and veterinary systems against terrorism and high-risk events. It also authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, to collaborate with other Federal agencies to ensure food, agriculture, and animal and human health sectors receive much-needed attention, and are integrated into the Department's domestic preparedness policy initiatives.

Whether we are preparing for future avian influenza outbreaks, animal disease outbreaks, or unforeseen emergencies or attacks, our Federal Government must have the tools and resources to act quickly and keep stakeholders informed. Parents should not have to worry about the safety of the food that they serve their children. We must ensure a safe and abundant food supply for our families; and my bill, this bipartisan bill, enables us to do just that.

I want to thank all Members--Homeland Security Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Thompson, Subcommittee Chairman Donovan, Ranking Member Payne for helping and making this a better bill, and Chairman Conaway of the Committee on Agriculture and Chairman Upton of the Committee on Energy and Commerce--who worked closely with me to bring this important bill to the floor. This was truly a collaborative effort and proves that we can do things in a bipartisan manner and together for the good of the country.

I want to thank staff as well, especially those on the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications of the Committee on Homeland Security who worked so hard on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this bill.

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