Mr. President, I rise today to address the threat of bioterrorist attacks on American agriculture. Agricultural activity accounts for approximately 13 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product and nearly 17 percent of domestic employment.

Agriculture is vital to the health and well-being of citizens in Hawaii and every state of the Union. Hawaii generates more than $1.9 billion in agricultural sales, and agriculture directly or indirectly employs 38,000 people who provide Hawaiian agricultural products to domestic and foreign markets, especially to our trading partners in Canada and Japan.

While Hawaii's agricultural economy was once dominated by sugarcane and pineapple, Hawaiian exports now include specialty exotic fruits, coffee, macadamia nuts, vegetables, flowers, and nursery products. Virtually all of these crops are vulnerable to pests and diseases that are difficult to control when they are accidentally introduced to the islands.

I am no stranger to the need to protect American agriculture from the menace of alien pests and diseases. Throughout my tenure on the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, I was proud to support important U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs such as the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). APHIS serves as an agricultural disease watchdog at our borders and around our farms and plays a vital role in preventing the introduction of agricultural pests and diseases to Hawaii. As a member of the Senate, my appreciation of these programs continues.

A single outbreak of a highly contagious livestock illness such as foot and mouth disease (FMD) could cost the U.S. economy over $10 billion. The 2001 FMD outbreak in Great Britain cost over $7 billion. In 2000, the Banana Bunchy Top Virus threatened the Island of Hawaii's $10 million banana industry. More recently, the state has seen an outbreak of the Papaya Ringspot Virus, which threatens a commodity that earned $16 million in 2000. An outbreak of FMD in Hawaii would threaten a $28 million milk industry and nearly $25 million worth of cattle and hogs.

These figures do not take into account the indirect effects on Hawaii's economy if harsh restrictions were placed on travel in rural areas. During the 2001 outbreak of FMD in the United Kingdom, such travel restrictions were imposed to stop the spread of the disease. The cost to businesses directly affected by tourism was nearly as high as the cost to agriculture and the food chain. Clearly, the potential for disruption of our food supply and our economy would be devastating.

My concerns are not unique to Hawaii. We must protect all of American agriculture, which is why I am introducing the Agriculture Security Preparedness Act of 2002. Federal agencies today are not as well prepared as they should be to respond to an agricultural disease emergency.

My bill provides the USDA with the resources and the response mechanisms to protect American farmers, ranchers, and consumers from agroterrorism. An agricultural disease outbreak, whether of natural or deliberate origin, will require coordinated efforts by the USDA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Transportation (DoT), and Justice (DoJ). This measure would give the USDA the needed authority and resources to cooperate and coordinate efforts with other federal agencies that have a stake in a rapid and effective response to agricultural disease events.

My legislation improves the government's preparedness and response to outbreaks of foreign and emerging agricultural diseases by:

• Improving coordination between USDA and FEMA on preparedness and mitigation planning for agricultural disease emergencies;
• Improving coordination between the USDA and the DoJ to review whether state and local laws might impede the rapid and effective implementation of emergency response measures;
• Improving coordination between the USDA, the EPA, and regional and local disaster preparedness officials, to consider the potential environmental impacts of agricultural emergency response measures;
• Establishing a public health liaison within the HHS to coordinate emergency response efforts with the USDA and the animal health and emergency management communities; and
• Establishing clear guidelines for the DOT and USDA to enforce restrictions on interstate transportation in the event of an agricultural disease outbreak.

The National Research Council report "Making the Nation Safer: the Role of Science and Technology in Countering Terrorism," released in June, mirrors several other key provisions in my legislation. It calls for:

• Stronger ties to the intelligence community to identify specific threats to American agriculture;
• Increased laboratory capacity for rapidly processing large volumes of clinical samples; Development of rapid and sensitive disease diagnostic tools;
• Development of improved livestock vaccines;
• The use of statisticians and computer models to understand the transmission of agricultural diseases during outbreaks;
• Addressing environmental concerns for the disposal of contaminated crops and livestock;
• Methods and standards for decontaminating areas where agricultural disease outbreaks occur; and
• Communication and public awareness campaigns about the importance of research for protecting American agriculture.

My legislation complements P.L. 107-188, the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, which was signed into law on June 12th, by increasing the USDA's ability to develop the resources and response mechanisms to contain and eradicate agricultural diseases when they are discovered on U.S. soil.

By enacting this bill, we can help safeguard American consumers and American agriculture against threats to our food supply and economy. The money and effort spent on protection from agroterrorism should be viewed as a general investment against the routine threats of disease agents and pests that infest crops and livestock. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.