{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-passes-hirono-provision-to-investigate-challenges-facing-hawaii-orchid-growers", "Senate Passes Hirono Provision to Investigate Challenges Facing Hawaii Orchid Growers", "2019-10-31", "2019", "2019-10", "Democrat", "House", "HI", "Mazie Hirono", "H001042", "www.hirono.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "October 31, 2019\n\t\t\t Senate Passes Hirono Provision to Investigate Challenges Facing Hawaii Orchid Growers \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Provision Requires USDA to Study the Economic and Environmental Impacts of Importing Orchids in Growing Media\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today theU.S. Senate approved a package of fourfiscal year (FY) 2020 appropriations bills on an 84-9 vote. In addition to supporting many needed investments for Hawaii, the legislation included a bipartisanamendment added on the Senate floor bySenator Mazie K. Hirono andSenator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), which requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to submit a report on the economic and environmental impacts of importing orchids in growing media.\r\nThe bipartisan FY2020 appropriations packageincludes annual funding for the federalDepartments of Commerce, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, the Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration, and several others.The bill now moves to a conference committee to reconcile differences with the House-passed appropriations bills.\r\nUnfortunately, when it approved the importation of foreign orchidstheUSDA ignored the warnings raised by our orchid growers about thethreat of invasive speciesthat could be imported as well. Thatis whywe need to quantify the impacts and identify the resources necessary to protect Hawaii's orchid industry,Senator Hirono said. This provision is part of a broader appropriations package that includes numerous important priorities for Hawaii and I will continue to fight to secure these provisions as the legislation goes to conference with the House.\r\nThe Hirono-Rubio amendment responds to concerns that Hawaii and other agricultural producers have raisedabout the threat posed by microscopic pests hitching a ride on imported orchids in media to Hawaii's fragile ecosystems. This provision would, for the first time, require the collection of data from local orchid growers on a state-by-state basis to include incidences of pest detection on orchids imported in growing media. It also mandates an analysis of additional resources needed to prevent and mitigate the introduction of pests resulting from importing orchids in growing media.\r\nIn 2014, the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) began the rulemaking process to allow the importation of orchids in growing media from Taiwan and Korea. In response to Hawaii orchid growers' concerns, Senator Hirono led the Hawaii delegation in sending comment letters to APHIS expressing concern with the proposed rules in 2015 and 2017. Despite these concerns, USDA APHIS moved forward with publishing final rules to allow importation of orchids in growing media. Under the amendment Senator Hironosuccessfully included in the legislation, USDA is required to assess the economic and environmental impacts of these final rules on local orchid growers and outline additional resources necessary to protect growers.\r\nAdditionally, Senator Hironoteamed up with Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) to include a separate measure on the floorthat would provide $5 million in funding to support urban agriculture, which supports activities such as indoor and vertical farms, community gardens, and urban farms.\r\nAdditional Hawaii priorities Senator Hirono fought to protectand includein the Appropriations Package:\r\n \r\nLanguage requiring the USDA and Department of the Interior (DOI) to report on their activities to implement the Regional Biosecurity Plan (RBP) for Micronesia and Hawaii.This report requires an update on the agencies' activities to date to implement the RBP as well as their planned activities for further implementation.\r\nLanguage highlighting the importance of Tropical and Subtropical crop research at USDA.This language highlights the importance ofresearch by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in combating invasive pests that threatencrop security in the Pacific and Insular Areas\r\nFunding to support the USDA Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Program.The bill provides $2 million in support of the program, which reimburses producers in Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and insular areas for transportation costs.\r\nFunding to acquire land for the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail.The bill provides $6 million for the National Park Service to acquire landto add to the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail on Hawaii Island.\r\nFunding to replace U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) facilities on Hawaii Island that were damaged during the Kilauea eruption.Language also directs USGS to keep the local community informed as plans evolve for replacing facilities.\r\nFunding to replace lost days at sea due to the sudden decommissioning of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Hiialakai.The bill provides $7 million to replace lost days at sea for research throughout the Hawaiian Islands.\r\nLanguage rejecting proposed staffing cuts at the National Weather Service (NWS) and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.This language rejects the Trump Administration's proposal to cut staff at NWS and to merge the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center with the National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska.\r\n$2 million in funding for the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program.Senator Hirono helped to create this program in the 2018 Farm Bill. Funds will be directed to nonprofit organizations in Hawaii, Alaska, and outlying areas to increase the quality and quantity of locally grown food in food insecure communities through small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock operations. The Trump Administration's budget requested no funding for this program in theFY2020 budget.\r\n$162 million to the Department of Transportation's Essential Air Service Program,which ensures minimum standards for and provides subsidized air service to rural communities across the country including Waimea and Hana, that the Trump Administration has sought to eliminate in the FY2020 budget.\r\n$3.7 million to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, an independent agency tasked with coordinating federal efforts to address homelessness. The Trump Administration sought to eliminate this important program in the FY2020 budget.\r\nFunds the National Sea Grant College Program at $75 million,a $7 million increase over 2019. NOAA's Sea Grant program funds research, education, extension, and outreach activities that benefits coastal communities in Hawaii and throughout the nation. The Trump Administration sought to eliminate this important program in the FY2020 budget.\r\nFunds the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Space Grant Program at $47 million,a $3 million increase over 2019. The Trump Administration sought to eliminate this important program in the FY2020 budget. The Space Grant programsupports scholarships, fellowships, and internships in higher education, research infrastructure, precollege, and informal education through its 52 Space Grant consortia, including the Hawaii Space Grant Consortium at the University of Hawaii Manoa, and supports flight project activities led by student teams.\r\n$4.5 million in Compact Impact Discretionary Grants.These grants provide additional financial support to affected jurisdictions to compensate for unreimbursed costs, particularly health care related costs, associated with providing services to Freely Associated States citizens.The Trump Administration requested no funding for this grant program in the FY2020 budget.\r\n$3.6 billion for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG).The bill rejects the Trump Administration's efforts to defund the CDBG program, one of the federal government's most effective means to revitalize low and moderate income communities across the country. CDBG funds support home ownership, housing rehabilitation, public improvements, and economic development projects throughout the nation.\r\n$1.25 billion for the HOME Investment Partnership Program.The bill rejects the Trump Administration's effort to end the HOME Investment Partnership Program, a block grant to state and local government designed to produce affordable housing for low-income families.\r\n$54 million for the Self-Help and Assisted Homeownership Opportunity Program.The Trump Administration sought to eliminatethis program, which helps low-income homebuyers contribute to the construction of their own homes through the Self Help Homeownership Opportunity Program. The Self-Help and Assisted Home Ownership Program also helps local organizations develop affordable housing and community development projects through, and provides grants to nonprofit organizations to rehabilitate or make improvements to the residences of low-income and disabled veterans.\r\n \r\n###\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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": ["http://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-passes-hirono-provision-to-investigate-challenges-facing-hawaii-orchid-growers"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0966737754642963, "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"}