The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Senate section on pages S646 on Feb. 10, 2011.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
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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