Recognizing the Agricultural Research Service of the Department of Agriculture on the occasion of its 50th anniversary for the important service it provides to the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Agriculture Research Service (ARS) of the Department of Agriculture for 50 years of outstanding research. ARS is the established leader in agriculture science, producing quality research used by many to help create responsible science-based policy. As we prepare to celebrate their accomplishments of the past half-century, it is also an opportunity for us to bear in mind future achievements.

ARS is the largest science organization in the world dedicated to agriculture research. As the Department of Agriculture's in-house agency. ARS conducts research to solve problems that are of high national priority and in the best interests of the Nation. This science is vital to the mission area of several Department of Agriculture agencies such as the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyard Administration (GIPSA), and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). ARS also serves a number of other Federal agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and some components within the Department of Defense (DOD), and the Department of Interior (DOI). Not only is ARS responsible for providing data to these agencies, they also distribute information to producers, consumers, and other stakeholders.

It is easy to see that research is an essential tool, but it is also a worthy investment. Federal agriculture research is a critical element in maintaining our competitive edge in the international arena as well as helps us address environmental challenges. We can better protect our resources from plant pests and animal diseases and can expect improved water quality, resource conservation, and renewable sources of energy. The value of these should research programs benefit not only agriculture, but all Americans.

ARS is able to carry out their mission of providing scientific research through collaborative efforts. There are more than 2,100 scientists conducting research at approximately 100 locations across the country and overseas. At any given time, ARS has more than 1,000 research projects underway, each of which is incorporated into one of 22 national programs. The network of laboratories and research centers across the country allows ARS to address problems quickly and efficiently.

I am proud to represent one center that has significantly contributed to this effort, the Beltsville Area Research Center (BARC), located in Beltsville, MD. I have worked with BARC over the years and have witnessed the work these researchers do and how critical it is to our daily lives.

BARC is the largest and most diversified agricultural research complex in the world. Beltsville's record of accomplishments and programs has earned the center international accolade and attracts thousands of visitors each year. Research in the Beltsville area addresses issues of agriculture importance and high national priority through programs in the Plant Sciences Institute, the Animal and Natural Resources Institute, the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, and the U.S. National Arboretum. I am sure BARC will live up to its reputation of producing high quality research on the cutting edge that will propel U.S. agriculture into the future.

We should take great pride for the many milestones that have been met and continue to support ARS and American agriculture.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate joint resolution (S.J. Res. 22) recognizing the Agricultural Research Service of the Department of Agriculture for 50 years of outstanding service to the Nation through agricultural research.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, Senate Joint Resolution 22 honors the Agricultural Research Service, the primary research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture. On Wednesday, October 29, the House Committee on Agriculture reported out an identical resolution, House Joint Resolution 74.

Although ARS can trace its heritage back to early 19th century seed collection activities in the U.S. Patent Office, it was originally organized on November 2, 1953, when the USDA consolidated most of its research functions into one newly-named Agricultural Research Service.

I am very pleased to help ARS mark its 50th anniversary and to use this occasion to recognize the important contributions ARS has made to the agricultural community, as well as to our Nation.

ARS is a public institution that conducts agricultural research exclusively for the public good. ARS scientists and other employees serve the Nation in their capacity of public servants and are accountable to the American people. The research is often long-term and costly and unlikely to be undertaken by the private sector. The ARS discoveries and innovations touch the lives of every American through the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the environment in which we all live. Those of us from rural districts see firsthand the impact of ARS research but we should all be mindful of the agency's unique contributions to the quality of life for people everywhere. This impact is far greater than anyone could have imagined 50 years ago.

To mark its five decades of public service and to look forward to the next 50 years and beyond of even greater service to this Nation, ARS will be celebrating with various events throughout the next year. In fact, in recognition of the local and national partnerships that are the foundation of much of their research, ARS has declared this a year of outreach and will hold an open house or in some other way throw open their doors at each location over the next year. With over

100 locations across the country, I hope you will support these activities and provide special encouragement for continued ARS leadership in the agricultural, natural resources and technological arenas.

I urge all Members to support this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

This is a very important resolution. The ARS has done some wonderful work for us. This is one small way that Congress can say thank you and recognize their efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, for the past 50 years, the Agriculture Research Service, or ARS as they are better known, has performed indispensable agriculture research across the country, including in the Congressional District I represent. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize ARS in honor of their 50th anniversary as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's main research authority.

From improving food safety to protecting crops and livestock, ARS has proved itself invaluable throughout the past 50 years. As the Department of Agriculture's research arm, they have been able to translate their raw data into profitability for farmers and lower costs for consumers. ARS has formed lasting partnerships with Universities throughout the nation, and has done so at Purdue University since 1965 when they released their first nationwide soil erosion-prediction equation. ARS maintains top-notch Crop Production and Pest Control, Livestock Behavior, and National Soil Erosion Laboratory units at Purdue. ARS, in conjunction with Purdue, continues to stay on the leading edge of agricultural research. Just this summer, they released their cutting edge Water Erosion Prediction Project over the Internet with software known as GeoWEPP.

From this research station, individuals such as Larry Dunkle, Donald Lay, and Darrell Norton have been able to study the agricultural dynamic of Northwest Indiana. They have all contributed a fundamental service to Northwest Indiana as well as the rest of the state, and their service with the ARS is indeed recognized and deeply appreciated. The agricultural community of Northwest Indiana has counted on their contributions of ARS for 50 years now, and that strong partnership will continue into the future.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me as I congratulate ARS and its researchers on their 50th anniversary by supporting S.J. Res. 22. I would further like to express my gratitude for their service to the agricultural community. Their accomplishments speak volumes, and I thank them for their vital public service.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today in support of S.J. Res. 22, a resolution commending the USDA Agricultural Research Service for their 50 years of service to America. For half a century now, the ARS has been a leader in publicly- funded basic and applied research. Given the structure of U.S. agriculture, individual family farms are certainly not able to provide for their own technical and research needs. Publicly-funded research entities such as ARS can provide the lead for long-term projects and have been an obvious and significant success to the benefit of the American people.

Over the years, ARS scientists have made hundreds of technical advances, released thousands of new plant varieties, and contributed to the abundant food supply that all our citizens enjoy. My own State and district have benefited in many tangible ways from the work of the Agricultural Research Service, and I doubt that there are any of us here today who could not say the same thing. The ARS has contributed so very much to advances in the quality and quantity of our food supply, benefiting rural and urban dwellers alike.

I congratulate the Agricultural Research Service on their 50 years of service and I look forward to continue working with them to enhance both American agriculture and the well-being of all our citizens. I encourage all Members to support this well-deserved resolution of commendation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.