President Donald Trump signed into law a bipartisan bill led by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Republican Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas, to protect the nation’s agriculture industry by addressing the threat of agro-terrorism and mitigating the risks to food put on tables across the country.
“Preventing and responding to terrorism isn’t a Democratic or Republican issue, and I’m glad that President Trump quickly signed our bipartisan bill into law,” McCaskill said. “Agro-terrorism potentially poses a grave threat to Missouri farmers and ranchers and the food we eat every day. This bill makes sure the Department of Homeland Security is taking the steps they need to prepare for and prevent attacks that could significantly harm our state’s economy and countless families across the country.”
The Securing Our Agriculture and Food Act mandates the Department of Homeland Security do its part to help protect livestock, limit the spread of contagious diseases, and keep food from being contaminated in the event of terrorist attacks and/or natural disasters. The bill unanimously passed the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in March.
This is the third McCaskill-backed bill that President Trump has signed into law. The Follow the Rules Act, which expands whistleblower protections, became law in June, and the GAO Access and Oversight Act, which helps to reduce waste and increase accountability, became law in February.
Missouri is particularly at risk when it comes to agriculture threats. With almost 100,000 farms across the state spanning over 28 million acres, the agriculture industry generates $88.4 billion a year for the state’s economy. The state has the second largest number of farms in the country and is one of the top producers for a number of crops including long grain rice, cotton, soybean and corn. One in 10 Missouri jobs are in the agriculture or forestry industries.
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