[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 14, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E186]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          INTRODUCTION OF THE SAVING AMERICA'S POLLINATORS ACT

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                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 14, 2018

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, our nation's food system is in a crisis 
right now, and it goes beyond the state of the farm economy. Between 
2016 and 2017, it's estimated that the United States lost one-third of 
its honey bee colonies. Over the past decade, documented incidents of 
honey bee colony collapse disorder and other forms of excess bee 
mortality have been at a record high. Some beekeepers reported 
repeatedly losing 100 percent of their operations. While this may not 
sound like a crisis to some, these insects play a critical role in 
pollinating a number of our nation's crops.
  Honey bees and native bees jointly provide U.S. agriculture an 
estimated $18 to $27 billion in pollination service annually. One of 
every three bites of food we eat is from a crop pollinated by bees. 
This dramatic decline threatens these crops, and thousands of 
scientific studies have implicated neonicotinoid pesticides, or 
neonics, as key contributors to this trend.
  That's why today I am proud to reintroduce the Saving America's 
Pollinators Act. This bill would protect the health of honey bees and 
other critical pollinators and suspend the use of bee-toxic neonics. It 
also requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to complete a 
thorough assessment and ensure that any use of these insecticides does 
not cause unreasonable and adverse effects on pollinators.
  The health of our food system depends on the health of our 
pollinators, and the EPA has a responsibility to get to the bottom of 
this issue. I urge my colleagues to join me and pass this legislation 
so that we can save our pollinators. The future of our food depends on 
it.

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