[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 89 (Thursday, June 20, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E954]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


       FEDERAL AGRICULTURE REFORM AND RISK MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2013

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                               speech of

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 19, 2013

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1947) to 
     provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and 
     other programs of the Department of Agriculture through 
     fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes:

  Mr. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the majority and 
minority for accepting my amendment to the farm bill on invasive 
species en bloc.
  My amendment requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to 
submit an annual report to Congress on invasive species.
  The report would include a list of invasive species in the country, 
their country of origin, how they got into the country, what year they 
entered the country, rate of entry, cost estimates, and a description 
of the ongoing research occurring to combat the species.
  More importantly, the report must include a description of any legal 
recourse available to people affected by the species.
  A 2005 study shows that invasive species cost the United States more 
than $120 billion in damages every year.
  U.S. agriculture loses $13 billion annually in crops from invasive 
insects.
  Every farmer, rancher, local government, non-profit or small business 
deserves to know what legal avenues are available to compensate them 
for dealing with an invasive species that was brought into their 
backyard through no fault of their own.
  Invasive species are not just harmful to humans or our food supply. 
They affect our endangered animals.
  More than 400 of the over 1,300 species currently protected under the 
Endangered Species Act, and more than 180 candidate species for listing 
are considered to be at risk at least partly due to displacement by, 
competition with, or predation by invasive species.
  My amendment seeks to bring an understanding to the challenge we are 
facing in combating invasive species.
  Currently, no single clearinghouse exists to find out how many 
invasive species there are in the country, where those species came 
from, and what research is ongoing to combat that particular species.
  How are we ever going to come up with a national strategy to combat 
invasive species if we don't know how what we are up against.
  This information needs to be available to the public so we can begin 
a national conversation and put our best and brightest to the task of 
coming up with solutions for combating invasive species.
  Again, I would like to thank the Members of the Agriculture Committee 
and I look forward to the remaining 2013 Farm Bill debates.

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