{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://strong.house.gov/media/press-releases/strong-takes-agroterrorism-threat-leverages-alabama-expertise", "Strong Takes on Agroterrorism Threat, Leverages Alabama Expertise", "2025-09-16", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "House", "AL", "Dale W. Strong", "S001220", "strong.house.gov", "strong", "https://strong.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Today, Rep. Dale W. Strong, Chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, held a hearing to examine the threats facing America\u2019s agriculture and food supply.\n\nChairman Strong brought together an expert panel to provide testimony, which included Daniel K. Wims, Ph.D., President of Alabama A&M University, and Cris Young, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, COL USA (Ret.), Professor of Practice at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University. Both highlighted the nature and severity of the threat that terrorists and other malicious actors can pose to our agriculture.\n\nThe hearing, titled \u201cSurveying the Threat of Agroterrorism: Perspectives on Food, Agriculture, and Veterinary Defense,\u201d focused on how hostile actors target U.S. agriculture, the risks to our food system, and what the federal government can do to prevent, prepare for, and respond to these threats.\n\n\u201cThe importance of our nation\u2019s agricultural assets to both our economy and national security cannot be overstated. \u2018Agro-terrorists,\u2019 or those who use biological agents and other means to disrupt our food supply chain, can find success in generating mass fear, instability, and economic damage. This makes our agriculture a tempting target for hostile actors,\u201d said Chairman Strong.\n\nThe hearing underscored risks ranging from foreign nationals attempting to smuggle pathogens into the U.S. to adversaries like China purchasing American farmland near military bases. Strong has led key legislative efforts to defend America\u2019s food and agriculture, including H.R. 1438, the \u201cProtecting America\u2019s Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act,\u201d which would block farmland purchases by adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s common sense to protect our food and fiber supply chain and prevent foreign adversaries from using our farmland as a base for operations that threaten our homeland security. I hope that the relevant Committees of jurisdiction take up the bill without delay,\u201d said Strong.\n\nStrong has also led on other efforts to defend our nation against these threats including H.R. 706, the \u201cDHS Biodetection Improvement Act,\u201d and H.R. 901, the \u201cResearch Security and Accountability in DHS Act,\u201d which have both passed the House of Representatives.\n\n\u201cTo frame the problem succinctly, if the United States ever goes to war with an adversary, food and water will be as important as traditional military concerns, such as submarines or missiles,\u201d said Cris Young.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"]], "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://strong.house.gov/media/press-releases/strong-takes-agroterrorism-threat-leverages-alabama-expertise"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.188828144222498, "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"}