Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019
Floor Speech
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Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
I rise in strong support of S. 2107, the Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019.
Americans are blessed to live in a country where, in most communities, we can find healthy, fresh foods at our grocery stores. That does not just happen. Our Nation's food supply and agricultural industry make it happen.
As such, the agricultural industry is an indispensable sector of our national economy. Every year, millions and millions of pounds of fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and meats enter the United States via commercial shipments from other countries.
While this flow of agricultural trade is fundamental to our economy and way of life, it does carry with it risk of importation diseases, pests, and compromised products.
To address this risk, agricultural inspectors in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspect incoming food and agricultural goods at our land, air, and sea ports.
Additionally, these inspectors interview passengers on incoming international flights to determine whether they are carrying prohibited agricultural items, because even an accidental transmission of a foreign pest or disease into our country could potentially devastate our agricultural system.
With African swine flu rampant in Asia, accounting for the deaths of millions of pigs as a result of disease, or to control this deadly disease, it is critical that the U.S. have adequate inspection resources in place.
S. 2107 would help ensure that we have agriculture inspectors in place to perform this critical mission.
I commend my counterpart in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Senator Gary Peters, and my former committee colleague Representative Filemon Vela for their leadership on this timely effort.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure and send this bill to the President's desk.
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