Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Act, 2027

Floor Speech

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Mr. VALADAO. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment with Representative Thompson in favor of the urgent emergency funding to address the glassy-winged sharpshooter infestation recently discovered in California.

California is the Nation's leading wine-producing State, and our table and wine grape growers support thousands of jobs in the Central Valley and beyond.

Unfortunately, the industry is facing a serious threat from an emerging outbreak of the glassy-winged sharpshooter. The glassy-winged sharpshooter is an invasive pest that transmits a lethal bacterium that chokes and kills grapevines. There is no cure once the infection occurs, and the sharpshooter's high mobility and rapid reproduction allow it to spread quickly.

Last month, the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner identified an infestation at a nursery that distributed infected grapes throughout the State. At least 23 counties have already received affected plants, and another 15 counties are expected to be impacted.

If this pest spreads across the State, our growers could face more than $100 million in annual costs to control the damage. At a time when specialty crop industries are already struggling with rising input costs, this is a burden they just can't afford to absorb.

Our growers have already stepped up and have done their part. Since 2001, the industry has invested more than $60 million of its own resources to combat the pest and protect California agriculture, but the scale of this outbreak requires a coordinated Federal response.

This amendment supports an additional $7 million for the APHIS Specialty Crop Pests account, helping ensure USDA has the resources necessary to work alongside growers and State officials to contain this threat before it is too late.

It is a reasonable investment that supports an industry already heavily invested in its own success and protects growers from circumstances beyond their control.

Mr. Chair, I thank Congressman Thompson for his leadership on the issue and look forward to working with him to elevate the need for immediate funding from the USDA, if needed, or to get this additional funding included in this bill.

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