Letter
Dear Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader McCarthy:
The undersigned groups request your support for swift passage of S. 2107/H.R. 4482, Protecting America’s Food & Agriculture Act of 2019, a bill authorizing funding to hire additional Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel needed to conduct Agriculture Quarantine Inspection at U.S. international ports of entry. The Senate passed S. 2107 by unanimous consent.
The U.S. agriculture sector is a crucial component of the American economy, generating over $1 trillion in annual economic activity. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, foreign pests and diseases cost the American economy tens of billions of dollars annually. CBP employees perform critically important agricultural inspections every day at the nation’s ports of entry. CBP Agricultural Specialists play a vital role in both trade and travel safety and prevent the introduction of harmful foreign animal diseases and exotic plant pests into the U.S. Diseases such as African Swine Fever, which has killed more than one out of every four pigs on the planet, would have a devastating impact on U.S. livestock producers, their communities, and the economy if introduced into the U.S.
For years, CBP has been chronically understaffed at U.S. ports of entry. The most recent results of CBP’s Agriculture Specialist Resource Allocation Model (AgRAM) shows a need for an additional 721 Agriculture Specialists. Passage of the Protecting America’s Food and Agriculture Act of 2019 would authorize CBP to hire 240 Agriculture Specialists and 200 Agriculture Technicians each year until the staffing shortage determined by AgRAM is remedied. The bill also authorizes the training and assignment each year of 20 new Agricultural Canine Teams, which have proven valuable in detecting illicit fruits, vegetables, and animal products that may have otherwise been missed in initial inspections. These specially trained dogs are already being utilized by CBP to sniff out potentially contaminated products. Finally, the bill authorizes supplemental appropriations each year to pay for the activities of agriculture specialists, technicians, and canine teams.
We ask Congress to authorize the needed CBP Agriculture Specialists, Canine Teams, and support staff at the international ports of entry to guard against national security threats, address public safety risks, and grow the economy. To achieve this goal, we urge you to support S. 2107/H.R. 4482.
Respectfully submitted,
Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference
Agri-Mark Dairy Cooperative
Airports Council International-North America
Alabama Cattlemen’s Association
Alabama Pork Producers
American Association of Port Authorities
American Dairy Coalition
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Feed Industry Association
American Honey Producers Association
American Kennel Club
American National CattleWomen
American Seed Trade Association
American Sheep Industry Association
American Sugar Alliance
American Trucking Associations
American Veterinary Medical Association
AmericanHort
Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association
Border Trade Alliance
California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association
California Cattlemen’s Association
California Citrus Mutual
California Farm Bureau Federation
California Pork Producers Association
California Poultry Federation
Colorado Cattlemen’s Association
Colorado Livestock Association
Colorado Pork Producers Council
Corn Refiners Association
Dairy Producers of New Mexico
Dairy Producers of Utah
Exotic Wildlife Association
Florida Cattlemen’s Association
Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association
Fresh Produce Association of the Americas
Georgia Cattlemen’s Association
Georgia Poultry Federation
Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council
Hawaii Pork Producers
Idaho Pork Producers Association
Illinois Beef Association
Illinois Pork Producers Association
Indiana Beef Cattle Association
Indiana Pork Producers Association
Indiana State Poultry Association
Iowa Cattlemen’s Association
Iowa Pork Producers Association
Iowa Poultry Federation
Iowa Turkey Federation
Kansas Livestock Association
Kansas Pork Association
Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association
Kentucky Pork Producers Association
Kentucky Poultry Federation
Livestock Marketing Association
Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association
Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
Louisiana Pork Producers Association
Louisiana Rice Producers Group
Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay
Maryland Cattlemen’s Association
Michigan Agri-Business
Michigan Cattlemen’s Association
Michigan Pork Producers Association
Minnesota Pork Producers Association
Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association
Minnesota Turkey Growers Association
Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association
Mississippi Farm Bureau
Mississippi Pork Producers Association
Mississippi Poultry Association
Missouri Cattlemen’s Association
Missouri Pork Association
Montana Agri-Women
Montana Pork Producers Council
Montana Stockgrowers Association
National Animal Interest Alliance
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
National Christmas Tree Association
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America
National Grain and Feed Association
National Milk Producers Federation
National Onion Association
National Pork Producers Council
National Potato Council
National Sorghum Producers
National Treasury Employees Union
National Turkey Federation Nebraska Cattlemen
Nebraska Pork Producers Association, Inc.
Nevada Cattlemen’s Association
New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association
New Mexico Wool Growers, Inc
North American Meat Institute
North American Renderers Association
North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association
North Carolina Egg Association
North Carolina Pork Council
North Carolina Poultry Federation North Dakota Pork Council
North Dakota Stockmen’s Association
Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives
Northwest Chicken Council
Ohio Cattlemen’s Association
Ohio Poultry Association
Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association
Oklahoma Pork Council
Oregon Cattlemen’s Association
Oregon Dairy Farmers Association
Oregon Pork Producers
Oregon Women for Agriculture
Pennsylvania Pork Producers Council
Pet Food Institute
Produce Marketing Association
Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania
Rural & Agriculture Council of America
Society of American Florists
South Carolina Poultry Federation
South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association
South Dakota Pork Producers Council
Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association
Tennessee Pork Producers Association
Tennessee Poultry Association
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
Texas Broiler Council
Texas Cattle Feeders Association
Texas Citrus Mutual
Texas Egg Council
Texas International Produce Association
Texas Pork Producers Association
Texas Poultry Federation
Texas Rice Producers Legislative Group
Texas Turkey Federation
The Poultry Federation
United Egg Producers
United Fresh Produce Association
United States Cattlemen’s Association
United States Chamber of Commerce
Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc.
US Rice Producers Association USA Rice Federation
Utah Cattlemen’s Association Utah Pork Producers
Virginia Cattlemen’s Association Virginia Pork Council, Inc.
Virginia Poultry Federation
Washington Cattle Feeders Association
Washington Cattlemen’s Association
Washington State Dairy Federation
Washington State Potato Commission
West Virginia Cattlemen’s Association
Western Growers Association
Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association
Wisconsin Pork Association
