Letter
Dear Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member Rogers:
The undersigned groups request that the Committee on Homeland Security expeditiously report out, without amendment, 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 the international ports of entry. The Senate version of this bill, S. 2107, was recently approved by the Senate 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 and fund 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 quickly discharge S. 2107/H.R. 4482 without amendment and push for its swift passage in the House.
Respectfully submitted,
Agri-Mark Dairy Cooperative
Airports Council International-North America
Alabama Pork Producers
American Dairy Coalition
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Feed Industry Association
American Kennel Club
American Sheep Industry Association
American Veterinary Medical Association
AmericanHort
Border Trade Alliance
California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association
California Citrus Mutual
California Farm Bureau Federation
California Pork Producers Association
California Poultry Federation
Colorado Pork Producers Council
Dairy Producers of New Mexico
Dairy Producers of Utah
Fresh Produce Association of the Americas
Hawaii Pork Producers
Idaho Pork Producers Association
Illinois Pork Producers Association
Indiana Pork Producers Association
Iowa Pork Producers Association
Kansas Pork Association
Kentucky Pork Producers Association
Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
Louisiana Pork Producers Association
Louisiana Rice Producers Group
Michigan Agri-Business
Michigan Pork Producers Association
Minnesota Pork Producers Association
Mississippi Farm Bureau
Mississippi Pork Producers Association
Missouri Pork Association
Montana Pork Producers Council
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 Pork Producers Council
National Potato Council
National Sorghum Producers
National Treasury Employees Union
National Turkey Federation
Nebraska Pork Producers Association, Inc.
North American Meat Institute
North American Renderers Association
North Carolina Pork Council
North Dakota Pork Council
Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives
Northwest Chicken Council
Oklahoma Pork Council
Oregon Dairy Farmers Association
Oregon Pork Producers
Oregon Women for Agriculture
Pennsylvania Pork Producers Council
Pet Food Institute
Rural & Agriculture Council of America
South Dakota Pork Producers Council
Tennessee Pork Producers Association
Texas Broiler Council
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
United Egg Producers
United Fresh Produce Association
United States Cattlemen’s Association
United States Chamber of Commerce
USA Rice Federation
Utah Pork Producers
Virginia Pork Council, Inc.
Washington State Dairy Federation
Washington State Potato Commission
Wisconsin Pork Association
