[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 140 (Wednesday, October 17, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10796-S10797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. HUTCHISON (for herself, Mr. Miller, and Mrs. Feinstein):
  S. 1563. A bill to establish a coordination program of science-based 
countermeasures to address the threats of agricultural bioterrorism; to 
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce, along with 
my colleagues Senators Cochran, Miller, and Feinstein, the Agricultural 
Bioterrorism Countermeasures Act of 2001.
  Due to the growing concerns about threats aimed at America's food 
supply and vital agricultural economies, I am introducing this 
legislation to identify, prepare for, and respond to such bioterrorist 
threats to our farms, ranches, livestock, poultry, crops, and food 
processing, packaging, and distribution facilities and systems.
  As we continue the fight against terrorism, it is critical that we 
dedicate sufficient resources to bioterrorism, a growing threat which 
has the potential of putting the safety of the U.S. food supply at 
risk. The United States currently boasts the world's safest and most 
abundant and affordable food supply, which benefits our citizens and 
helps bolster our economy. Clearly, it would be devastating for the 
public to lose confidence in the safety of our food. We, as a Nation, 
must respond by developing the technology and implementing the 
countermeasures necessary to identify and quickly control these risks.
  The potential threat of bioterrorism to the U.S. population and to 
our food supply has been recognized over the years, from the cold war 
to the gulf war. During the cold war, it was known that the former 
Soviet Union had a bio-weapons program that included bio-agents aimed 
at agriculture, while during the gulf war our own soldiers have shown 
evidence of possible use of biological weapons. Meanwhile, in Japan, 
terrorists have already tried once to use chemical and bioagents on the 
subways. In addition, the recent outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in 
Europe and ``mad-cow disease'' have increased public awareness and 
concern about exotic diseases that may affect the public through 
agricultural infection.
  The Agriculture Bioterrorism Countermeasures Act of 2001 will 
authorize the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA, to strengthen its 
capacities to identify, prepare for, and respond to a bioterrorist 
threat including an attack on the United States' food supply and 
agriculture. This bill will expand the capacity of the USDA to enhance 
inspection capability, implement new information technology, and 
develop methods for rapid detection and identification of plant and 
animal disease.
  This legislation will also strengthen America's research and 
development capacity by promoting collaboration between organizations 
that are addressing the use of agricultural bioterrorism, such as the 
federal government, universities, and private sector. The USDA will 
establish a Consortium for Countermeasures Against Agricultural 
Bioterrorism to form long-term programs of research and development to 
enhance the biosecurity of U.S. agriculture. America's institutes of 
higher

[[Page S10797]]

education that have a demonstrated expertise in animal and plant 
disease research, strong linkages with diagnostic laboratories, and 
strong coordination with state cooperative extension programs will 
provide the resources and expertise that will prove invaluable in the 
war on agricultural bioterrorism.
  Protecting our agriculture is critical to my home state. Food 
production and agriculture make up some of Texas' largest and most 
diverse economies. Countless amounts of food products, grains, 
livestock, and poultry travel across our 1200 mile border with Mexico 
and through our ports of the Gulf of Mexico. We--along with other major 
agriculture states included Mississippi, Georgia and California--are 
vulnerable to a bioterrorist attack. However, we will also serve as the 
first lines of defense for our entire country.
  To protect our food supply, our citizens, and our economy, I urge my 
colleagues to support the Agricultural Bioterrorism Countermeasures Act 
of 2001.
                                 ______