Defense Funding Signed; Millions for USDA

January 11, 2002 Key funding includes $105 million for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for pest and disease exclusion, detection and monitoring; $80 million for upgrading USDA facilities and operational security; $50 million for an animal bio-containment facility at the National Animal Disease Laboratory; $40 million for the Agricultural Research Service; $23 million for the Plum Island Animal Disease Center; $15 million for security upgrades and bioterrorism protection for the Food Safety and Inspection Service; $14 million for increased security measures at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, IA; $39 million for the Women, Infants and Children program to respond to the effects of unemployment and other conditions.

“We continue to make our protection systems a top priority,” said Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman. “I commend the work of the conference committee for developing this bipartisan resolution. These resources are important investments that will help strengthen our protection programs.”

Beginning last year, USDA has worked to enhance many of these programs through annual budget requests and emergency appropriations.

Veneman has called repeatedly for more long-term planning in infrastructure programs to ensure farmers and consumers are protected against threats such as foot-and-mouth disease, which ravaged the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe last spring. She also has urged further consideration of such programs be examined as part of the next farm bill. Since Sept. 11, USDA has worked with the newly created Office of Homeland Security, states, other federal agencies, states and industry, to examine immediate emergency needs and develop longer-term strategies to continue protecting America’s food and agricultural systems.

“We will continue to coordinate with the Office of Homeland Security and other federal agencies, particularly the Department of Health and Human Services, to utilize these additional resources most effectively,” Veneman said. “We formed the USDA Homeland Security Council to help coordinate antiterrorism efforts across all USDA program areas and with other federal and state agencies.”

For more information on USDA’s homeland security efforts, visit the Department’s biosecurity website at: www.usda.gov/biosecurity.