WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today addressed the International Symposium on Agroterrorism.

The Symposium was developed by The Heart of America Joint Terrorism Task Force, in conjunction with the Kansas City Division of the FBI, to bring together public and private sectors to identify and thwart domestic and global terrorism threats to the world's food supply.

The following is text of Senator Roberts’ prepared remarks:

“I had the honor of addressing many of you in 2005, at the very first Agro-terrorism Symposium. I thought about just giving that same speech again, but I am sure each of you remembers every moment of it. And, we should underscore a lot has changed.

“It is an honor to return. It gives me great confidence to see how this conference has grown, both in size and scope.

“I have spent a great deal of my career focusing on the critical subject of agroterrorism. Having the privilege of serving as a senator from our great state of Kansas and service in the United States Marine Corps, I have naturally found myself focused on both agriculture and national security. In many respects, I consider this issue a priority commitment.

“As the Ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, once Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and former member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, keeping our federal agencies focused and sharing information on the current and future threats to our food supply has been an urgent and continuing priority.

“Some twelve years ago, in 1999, the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities was newly formed and I had the privilege of serving as its first chairman.

“In numerous hearings on terrorism, we repeatedly asked top scientists and biowarfare experts to assess the greatest threats to our nation. The big question, ‘what keeps you up at night?’

“Continually, the subcommittee heard concerns over the susceptibility of U.S. agriculture and its impact on the nation’s economy and food supply.

“In our first hearing on agroterrorism before the subcommittee, we heard from then president of Kansas State University, Jon Wefald. His enlightening testimony gave the committee and agriculture community many things to think about, including the threat of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the U.S. and the intentional introduction of infectious disease to our livestock and food supply.

“Looking back, it was not surprising some felt our rhetoric and attention to the issue was unwarranted despite the real and dangerous threat an attack on agriculture would have on our nation and the world. However, we forced the Agriculture and Intelligence Committees to begin addressing ways to ensure America was prepared and ready to minimize an attack.

“In 2009, after an arduous but determined effort, Kansas State was named the future site of the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility, or NBAF, by the Department of Homeland Security. This was a moment of great achievement on the part of many within our state and DHS, making its decision void of politics and based on the site’s merits.

“The facility is on schedule. Before heading into the Easter recess, Congress approved $40 million for construction of the NBAF’s Central Utilities Plant. Once the facility is operating, it will replace the aging Plum Island facility in New York and enhance our nation’s preparedness against infectious animal disease– a reality we have long worked hard to achieve.

“And, I know you will soon hear more about this subject from Dr. Ron Trewyn, a good friend, colleague and fellow K-Stater. And, our U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Homeland Security deserve credit for recognizing and persevering in combating the challenge of the threat of agroterrorism and protecting our nation’s food supply.

“In regard to DHS, I would like to give deserved praise to the Science and Technology division. Once under the supervision of Admiral Cohen and now Dr. Tara O’Toole, the Department is making real progress addressing our preparedness, response, and recovery through a series of projects:

• The Ag Screening Tools project, which is developing standardized technologies to more rapidly identify high-priority foreign animal disease;

• The 3D project: Decontamination, Disposal, and Depopulation. Answering “how” we deal with mass casualty of livestock should an outbreak occur;

• Maintenance of our laboratories, oversight of research and development, and more important, achieving a vaccine for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). We hope this might be a reality in the next several years, meeting a vital concern.

“There is no doubt that the War on Terrorism, no matter what some say we are in a War on Terrorism, continues to morph into many different threats. However, the threat is not just from terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda.

“This real source of weaponized biological agents may well come from a nation-state. Iran, in particular, China, North Korea, and yes, Russia may be the source for others to introduce a deadly, decimating pathogen into our nation’s food supply.

“We cannot let down our guard. Experts in the field warn, this threat is not an ‘if’ but a ‘when.’

“This is why it is so important that our interagency coordination and cooperation continue. The more we work together to combat threats against our food supply from our adversaries, the more secure our nation will be.

“Today, we also see potential attack from our adversaries in Algeria, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Sudan, and Yemen with the potential to strike using Non-Traditional Agents such as avian influenza, FMD, Rift Valley fever. Each of these agents, and many more, represent a transmissible disease with potential for very serious, rapid spread across national borders.

“It is no shock what an outbreak of zoonotic, infectious animal disease would do to the country.

“The effects of such an attack would be devastating. Halting exports or shipments of agriculture production due to contraction of disease by just one animal would have a ripple effect unlike anything we have seen in the U.S.

“The tragedy of 9/11 is an image that will be forever burned into our national memory. In the same regard, thousands of terminated cattle, swine, or other livestock would also be devastating. Fear about the health and quality of our nation’s food supply would result in catastrophic results on our economy.

“There is no question, our growing capabilities and our measures of surveillance, methods for tracking and protecting our food supply, and regulatory oversight on production should, and will be, topics of federal and state debate.

“Our defense against potential attacks must be strong enough to keep the nation resilient. What risk are we willing to assume and what preventive measures can we accept?

“The stakes are obvious: U.S. agriculture is the backbone of our nation; a trillion dollar business resulting in:

• $117 Billion in production exports annually;

• accounting for 15 percent of the U.S. economy;

• and 18 percent of jobs.

“Only by keeping this debate a priority and the nation educated, informed, and focused on the threat can we be successful.

“Compared to the days of 1999, we are ahead of the curve in preparation, thanks to everyone here, but we are not impenetrable to the threat. Simply put, to ensure our safety, America must continue to invest, prepare, and plan its defense against agroterrorism.

“Unfortunately, there are those in Washington who still continue to pay little attention the seriousness of this threat. But I can assure you our efforts will not cease.

“As the NBAF is built and our nation’s defense against agroterrorism continues, we must remain ever vigilant and cognizant of what may come next.

“You obviously know this, each of you is here today because of your particular concern or interest in the safety of the food of our nation. I fully realize I am preaching to the choir.

“On behalf of our entire agriculture industry, I thank and applaud every member of the Heart of America Joint Terrorism Task Force, as well as the Special Agents throughout the room.

“The FBI deserves overdue credit for making a difficult transition from an agency focused on criminal activity, to an agency successfully focused on both criminal activity and counter-terrorism. This has been a long and arduous struggle both in terms of policy and politics. The methods and practices of the Bureau give me confidence that our nation will continue to be ahead of this threat.”

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