Letter to the Hon. Elaine C. Duke, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security - Implementation of Agro-Terror Protections

Letter

Dear Acting Secretary Duke:

On June 30, 2017, President Trump signed the bipartisan Securing our Agriculture and Food Act into law. This law requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to carry out a program to defend the U.S. food, agriculture, and veterinary systems against terrorism and other high-risk events. More recently, DHS provided authorizing committees with notice about a departmental reorganization of certain chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear functions into a new Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office pursuant to Section 872 of the Homeland Security Act. We write to receive an update on the DHS's continuing work on agro-terrorism issues, following the enactment of this law and the planned reorganization.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, U.S. agriculture and food industries contribute approximately $990 billion to the U.S. economy annually. Food safety is also a deeply personal issue and maintaining consumer confidence in the food supply chain is very important.

To better understand the Department's efforts to ensure the security of food, agriculture, and veterinary systems, we request clarity on the following questions:

How is DHS working to incorporate agro-terrorism and other events impacting the agriculture sector into preparedness planning?

Who is leading the DHS efforts until the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs is appointed? Who will be leading DHS efforts when the new CWMD entity is formed?

As with other terrorism preparedness efforts, interagency coordination is crucial for effective prevention, mitigation, and response strategies. How is DHS working with other federal, state, and local entities to ensure a coordinated, integrated response system to agro-terrorism and other high risk threats to the agriculture sector?

Are DHS and its federal, state, and local partners conducting vulnerability assessments and expanding monitoring and surveillance efforts?

How will DHS improve its agricultural tracking systems, including training for field staff?

How does DHS envision National Bio and Agro-defense Facility helping to meet the requirements of the Securing our Agriculture and Food Act?

We appreciate your commitment to keeping Americans safe and we look forward to your prompt response to our inquiries.