{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://bishop.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/bishop-ferguson-kildee-smith-lead-house-approval-of-the-beagle-brigade-act", "BISHOP, FERGUSON, KILDEE, & SMITH LEAD HOUSE APPROVAL OF THE BEAGLE BRIGADE ACT", "2024-12-19", "2024", "2024-12", "Democrat", "House", "GA", "Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.", "B000490", "bishop.house.gov", "bishop", "https://bishop.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Yesterday, U.S. Representatives Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-02), Drew Ferguson (R-GA-03), Dan Kildee (D-MI-08), and Adrian Smith (R-NE-03) led U.S. House approval of S.759, the Beagle Brigade Act. The bill was approved by the U.S. House with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 381-20 and previously passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent last month. Having passed both chambers, the bill now heads to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\n\nLast year, Reps. Bishop, Ferguson, Kildee, and Smith introduced the House companion bill, H.R. 1480, which was approved by the U.S. House Agriculture Committee by a unanimous vote.\n\nThe bill will permanently authorize the National Detector Dog Training Center, located in Newnan, Georgia. The Center extensively trains detector dogs and their U.S. Customs and Border Protection handlers to sniff out prohibited agricultural items that could carry foreign plant or animal pests and diseases into our country.\n\nIn leading debate on the bill, Congressman Bishop noted, \u201cThe U.S. agriculture sector is a $1 trillion industry constantly under the threat of foreign pests and diseases\u2026 that could be introduced through our nation\u2019s ports of entry, including airports, harbors, and mail and cargo facilities. Some of these diseases could cost the American economy tens of billions of dollars to contain and eradicate, if they are found to be in the country. Agriculture detector dogs \u2013 known as the \u2018Beagle Brigade\u2019 \u2013 are an important tool in preventing these threats and eradicating them in the event they overcome our safeguards\u2026 An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The Brigade is well worth its value.\u201d\n\nAs the Republican co-lead of the House-version of the bill, Congressman Ferguson noted during debate that, \u201cthe Beagle Brigade Act would permanently authorize the training center to ensure that America\u2019s food supply stays protected from potentially devastating foreign pests and diseases. The National Detector Dog Training Center in Georgia\u2019s 3rd Congressional District does important work to properly train detector dogs to sniff out prohibited agricultural items in domestic and international trade.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m pleased to see the House pass our bill, the Beagle Brigade Act, to strengthen the inspection of food imports. Michigan's farmers work hard to feed our families every day, and this bill will help to protect our local food supply,\u201d said Congressman Kildee. \u201cThis legislation will help defend American agriculture from foreign diseases that could harm our livestock and increase food prices.\u201d\n\n\u201cProtecting American consumers and our agriculture industry from foreign threats to food safety before they enter our food supply is a critical task,\u201d said Congressman Smith. \u201cOur hardworking farmers and ranchers are tirelessly vigilant to safeguard their stock from contaminants, and the passage of this bill will augment Customs and Border Protection efforts to effectively identify and stop foreign pests and diseases before they can enter our food supply chain. I thank Reps. Bishop, Ferguson, and Kildee for their collaboration on this bipartisan bill, and I encourage President Biden to sign it into law.\u201d\n\n\u201cEvery day, USDA\u2019s National Detector Dog Training Center in Newnan plays an essential role in keeping our food supply safe from contamination. This legislation permanently authorizes their work and will continue to strengthen our nation\u2019s agriculture industry and the well-being of our communities,\u201d said Senator Reverend Warnock. \u201cAs a member of the Senate Agriculture committee and champion for Georgia\u2019s farmers, I am proud to have worked with my Senate and House colleagues, including Congressman Bishop, to get this bipartisan legislation over the finish line, and I urge President Biden to swiftly sign it into law.\u201d\n\n\u201cIowans know firsthand how important prevention and preparedness efforts are in combatting diseases like avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease, and African swine fever. The Beagle Brigade is our first line of defense against foreign animal diseases that have the potential to devastate our farmers, producers, and food supply chain,\u201d said Senator Ernst. \u201cThe House and Senate have done our jobs to protect our agricultural community, and the president must sign this bipartisan legislation into law immediately.\u201d\n\nWATCH: The full debate regarding the Beagle Brigade Act during on the U.S. House Floor, led by Congressman Bishop\n\nS.759 was introduced in the U.S. Senate and led by Senators Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA).\n\nAuthorizing the United States Department of Agriculture\u2019s National Detector Dog Training Center ensures the United States has a crucial tool in its fight against foreign pests and diseases that have the potential to devastate all sectors of the agriculture economy. Over 50 prominent agricultural, veterinary, and trade organizations support the legislation.\n\nThe Center trains dogs\u2014mostly beagles\u2014and their handlers to detect prohibited fruits, vegetables, and meats in international passenger baggage, mailed packages, and vehicles entering the United States. Dogs are selected from animal shelters, rescue groups, and private owners. Those that retire from the program or do not complete training are offered for adoption.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://bishop.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/bishop-ferguson-kildee-smith-lead-house-approval-of-the-beagle-brigade-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0755332186818123, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}