[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 21 (Thursday, February 10, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S646]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 47--RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF BIOSECURITY AND 
                    AGRODEFENSE IN THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. ROBERTS (for himself and Mr. Moran) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry:

                               S. Res. 47

       Whereas following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the 
     Nation took notice of the global threat of terrorism;
       Whereas the new reality after the attacks of September 11, 
     2001, led to an increase of resources focused on combating 
     attack from the enemies of the United States;
       Whereas Congress established the Department of Homeland 
     Security in 2002 with the intent of meeting the challenges 
     plaguing our Nation;
       Whereas the attacks made visible the vulnerability of our 
     food supply and agriculture economy;
       Whereas the President of the United States issued a 
     Homeland Security Directive entitled the ``Defense of United 
     States Agriculture and Food'' on January 30, 2004;
       Whereas the Department of Homeland Security in partnership 
     with the Department of Agriculture recognized the challenges 
     of agroterrorism early on;
       Whereas the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass 
     Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism assessed in its 2008 
     report entitled ``World At Risk'', ``the U.S. government has 
     invested most of its nonproliferation efforts and diplomatic 
     capital in preventing nuclear terrorism. The Commission 
     believes that it should make the more likely threat--
     bioterrorism--a higher priority. Only by elevating the 
     priority of the biological weapons threat will it be possible 
     to bring about substantial improvements in global 
     biosecurity''; and
       Whereas the threat of attack from the enemies of the United 
     States continues and there is much remaining work: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) while the United States continues to combat terrorism 
     in all forms around the world, the safety, security, and 
     health of our livestock and agriculture commodities must not 
     be forgotten;
       (2) research and investment in biosecurity and biosafety 
     should remain a top priority for Congress;
       (3) providing the resources, both intellectually and 
     materially, for the advancement of vaccines and hopeful 
     eradication of deadly pathogens and emerging zoonotic disease 
     is an integral part of providing homeland defense;
       (4) a laboratory capable of handling such deadly diseases 
     is necessary to meet the demand for such resources, and such 
     laboratory should be constructed to the highest standards of 
     safety and security, and should meet the requirements of a 
     biosafety level 4 laboratory;
       (5) without the tools necessary to protect the citizens, 
     agriculture economy, and food supply of the United States, 
     the United States remains vulnerable to attack and chaos;
       (6) the world depends on the food and fiber that the United 
     States produces;
       (7) the world depends on the leadership of the United 
     States in science and technology;
       (8) the United States must remain the leader in the fight 
     against bioterrorism; and
       (9) biosecurity and agrodefense are achievable goals for 
     the United States in the global war on terrorism.

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