Cardoza on six-legged terrorists

Rep. Cardoza may just have the political will to pull this off, but the powers that be are not in his favor. It will be interesting to watch the Nov. 1 joint hearing between the Agriculture Committee and the Homeland Security Committee: From the office of Rep. Dennis Cardoza:

WASHINGTON, DC— Today Chairman Cardoza of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture held a hearing to review the joint performance of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the Department of Agriculture and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security in protecting U.S. agriculture from foreign pests and disease. Investigative reports presented during the hearing showed that the consolidation of border inspection powers under the Department of Homeland Security resulted in a breakdown in stopping foreign pests and prohibited agricultural products from entering the country.

“Stopping foreign pests and prohibited agricultural products from entering the US might not be as sexy as stopping terrorists, weapons, or drugs but it is certainly just as important,” said Chairman Cardoza during the hearing. “These are six and eight-legged terrorists that can wreak havoc on our nation’s agricultural industry, costing billions of taxpayer dollars in eradication efforts and decimate our ability to access new export markets.”

Until March 1, 2003, the agricultural quarantine inspection (AQI) program was under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s APHIS. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 transferred that responsibility, and 1800 agricultural inspectors, from APHIS to the Department of Homeland Security’s CPB. The Agriculture Committee’s investigator, the Government Accountability Office, and the Homeland Security Department’s Office of the Inspector General all testified on separate reports they conducted which show the AQI program has been poorly administered and under-prioritized by CBP. The testimony included startling anecdotal evidence and statistics about the state of AQI since the transfer, including a 27% increase in new pest and disease incursions in Florida and nearly half of the agricultural inspectors leaving CPB. The consensus of these reports is that CBP is not preventing foreign pests and disease incursions and has fostered a poor working environment for agricultural inspectors.

CPB has traditionally been responsible for regulating international trade, collecting import duties, and preventing terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the U.S. CBP does not have experience or expertise at pest and disease exclusion. Some experts and investigators testifying at today’s hearing believe that the APHIS program, with responsibilities for AQI, should be transferred back to USDA.

Chairman Cardoza summed up the hearing, “The testimony here today has shown that this transfer has been a colossal mistake and a colossal waste of taxpayer money. I hope that we can correct this mistake promptly.”

On November 1, 2007 the House Agriculture and Homeland Security Committees are scheduled to have a joint hearing on the AQI program and explore solutions to improve pest exclusion at our borders.