A joint resolution recognizing the Agricultural Research Service of the Department of Agriculture for 50 years of outstanding service to the Nation through agricultural research.

Mr. President, on November 3, 2003, the Agricultural Research Service, the primary research agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will celebrate its 50th anniversary. To commemorate this special anniversary, I, along with Senator Harkin, am offering a Senate joint resolution to recognize the important contributions the Agricultural Research Service provides to the agriculture community and to the Nation. Although ARS can trace its heritage back to early 19th century seed collection activities in the U.S. Patent Office, it was officially organized on November 2, 1953, when USDA consolidated most of its research functions into the newly named Agricultural Research Service. Today, ARS is a public institution that conducts agricultural research exclusively for the public good. 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 live.

I am very proud of the accomplishments ARS has made in my State. For example, ARS established the Lower Mississippi Delta Nutrition Intervention Research Initiative in 1995 to improve the health of residents of the Mississippi Delta through nutrition intervention research. ARS has partnered with, among others, the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg and Alcorn State University in Lorman to identify food and nutrition problems in communities and to design nutrition interventions to determine how and why people make food choices, and how those choices could be improved. Another fine example of the partnership between the ARS and our Mississippi universities is the Southern Horticultural Laboratory in Poplarville. This ARS small fruit research facility, in cooperation with Mississippi State University, has led in the establishment of a vibrant blueberry industry in South Mississippi and other Gulf Coast States and has now expanded to include research on ornamentals and vegetables.

The ARS Catfish Genetics Research Unit at Stoneville, in partnership with Mississippi State University, bred a new catfish variety, NWAC 103, and released it in February 2001. This marks one of the few times genetic research has improved catfish since the industry started in the United States in the late 1950s. Since then, catfish has become one of the most successful aquacultural enterprises, thereby guaranteeing a plentiful supply of high-quality fish to consumers. Also, ARS scientists, in partnership with the University of Mississippi scientists, invented a new natural product-based algaecide for use in catfish aquaculture, thus providing an alternative to synthetic herbicides.

A special ARS project in the late 1990s in Mississippi showed that farm runoff is not damaging Mississippi

groundwater. Data from the 7,320-acre Mississippi Delta Management Systems Evaluation Areas in Sunflower and LeFlore counties showed contamination by farm chemicals is not a problem. The Mississippi Delta MSEA also focused on farmland erosion control and preventing sediment and chemical runoff into three oxbow lakes: Beasley, Thighman and Deep Hollow. Technology being tested in the Delta MSEA not only enhances the health of the lakes, thus increasing fish and duck numbers, but may also help growers reduce costs.

To mark its five decades of public service and, in recognition of the local and national partnerships that are the foundation of much of their research, ARS will celebrate with various events throughout the next year following a kick-off celebration on November 3, 2003.

I commend the Agricultural Research Service on the occasion of its 50th anniversary and look forward to many more years of its important service 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. President, 50 years ago, James Watson and Francis Crick were identifying the double-helix molecule of DNA. The first embryo transfers from donor cows to recipients were made. The Korean War ended. And the Agricultural Research Service was created.

The creation of ARS was not the beginning of the Department of Agriculture's efforts in agricultural research. President Abraham Lincoln signed the act creating the department, which included the charge to ``acquire and diffuse among the people of the United States useful information . . . and to procure, propagate, and distribute among the people new and valuable seeds and plants.'' The Department's commitment to agricultural research reaches back nearly 150 years. The ARS itself was created by Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson through a reorganization of the former Agricultural Research Administration, on November 2, 1953.

In its 50 years of service, the ARS has discovered dozens of ways to protect crops and livestock from pests and disease. It has improved the quality and safety of agricultural products. It has played a critical role in developing nutrition standards and carrying out nutrition research. It has also developed techniques to maintain the quality of our soil, perhaps our greatest renewable natural resource. Its research has helped farmers work more efficiently and profitably. And it has worked to develop ways to keep food affordable for consumers.

My State has been one of the greatest beneficiaries of ARS research, and the National Animal Disease Center at Ames, Iowa has played a vital role over the years in carrying out the mission of ARS.

Hog cholera was one of the greatest problems faced by hog farmers in this country for more than 130 years, since it was first reported in Ohio in 1833. Outbreaks occurred frequently over the years, some resulting in the loss of more than one in 10 hogs in the U.S. In the early 1960's, hog cholera was still costing farmers $50 million per year.

Agricultural research at USDA on hog cholera, much of it carried out in Ames, IA, dates back to the 1903 discovery of the hog cholera virus. ARS large scale studies starting in 1961 developed and tested a program to immunize hogs against cholera using killed virus. On the advice of ARS, USDA regulatory officials banned interstate shipment of live virus or animals vaccinated with live virus. In January 1978, Secretary of Agriculture Bob Bergland announced that, as a result of an aggressive campaign that employed the treatment techniques developed by ARS, that hog cholera had been entirely eradicated.

ARS has had many similar successes. The eradication of screwworm in cattle and Marek's disease in chickens has saved an untold amount of money by preventing livestock losses. It is estimated that the savings from the Marek's disease program is 44.3 times it's cost for every dollar spent on immunization, $44.30 is saved. For those who suggest that domestic government spending does not help the economy, the work of ARS stands as a great example of a program that works and helps American farmers be the best in the world.

So I salute the scientists of ARS for their 50 years of service to agriculture, and wish them 50 more. There are still many challenges to agriculture, and ARS will be there working to solve them.

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.