Beagle Brigade Act of 2023

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 759) to authorize the National Detector Dog Training Center, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 759.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here to support this bill that we are now debating regarding the National Detector Dog Training Center.

This training center serves as an important line of defense in safeguarding America's agricultural and natural resources from harmful pests and diseases. The center in Georgia trains dogs and their handlers to detect prohibited agricultural items like fruits, vegetables, and meats.

These dogs and their handlers then serve at many of our border entry points to prevent such prohibited items from coming into our country and spreading dangerous pests and animal diseases that would have just devastating impacts on our domestic production, actually impacting our ability to feed ourselves, resulting in food insecurity, which affects national security.

While this bill simply codifies the training center that has been in existence since 1984, I am glad to see the center receive the recognition and prioritization it deserves.

I am happy to support this legislation that has been supported by Mr. Sanford Bishop. I also appreciate Representative Ferguson's leadership on this bill in bringing it to the floor. I thank him for his service to Georgia's Third Congressional District.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Ferguson).

Mr. Speaker, once again, I am just very appreciative to all of the Members who provided the leadership on this piece of legislation. I think when folks hear the name of this bill, they wonder why Congress is dealing with this.

I mean, I kind of like the name actually, Beagle Brigade Act of 2023, but it is not a laughing matter. It is a serious matter. I appreciate the thought that it has and the due diligence that has been put into this bill and the construct of it in terms of really meeting the needs of our Nation.

I mean, it is worth repeating, the bill would officially authorize the existing National Detector Dog Training Center located in Newnan, Georgia. The center trains detector dogs, mostly beagles--not all beagles, but mostly beagles--and their U.S. Customs and Border Protection handlers to detect prohibited agriculture items like fruits and vegetables and meats that could carry foreign plant and animal pest and disease into the United States.

Once that happens, how rapidly those could spread can obviously seriously

impact commodities within the United States and our agriculture industry, and quite frankly, the health and safety of our citizens.

Dogs and their handlers inspect international passenger baggage, mailed packages, and vehicles entering the U.S. The dogs are selected from animal shelters, rescue groups, and private owners. Those that do not complete the training, as well as retirement-aged, trained dogs are offered for private adoptions. The dogs are well cared for from beginning to end.

The bill would also require the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, to prepare a report to Congress no later than 1 year after the date of enactment, including a description of current and emerging pest and disease threats, the role of the center in protecting against those threats, and any recommendations for strengthening that role and the overall center.

As you can see, Mr. Speaker, it is a well-thought-out, comprehensive bill that is, I think, of strategic importance to our Nation.

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

Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank those who put this bill forward. I think this example of this piece of legislation illustrates why it is commonly said that a dog is a man's best friend. It really fills an incredible niche here.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back balance of my time.

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

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

I am proud to rise in support of the Beagle Brigade Act, which is a bipartisan, bicameral bill, the companion of which I led in this Chamber with my colleagues Representatives Drew Ferguson, Dan Kildee, and Adrian Smith.

The Senate version, which we consider today, was offered and advanced through the Senate by Senator Warnock from Georgia and Senator Ernst from Iowa.

The bill provides authorization for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Detector Dog Training Center, which is located in Newnan, Georgia, and is vital to the protection of American agriculture and helps keep foreign animal and plant pests as well as diseases out of our country.

The U.S. agriculture sector is a $1 trillion industry constantly under the threat of foreign pests and diseases, such as African swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, or citrus greening disease that can be introduced through our Nation's ports of entry, including airports, harbors, and mail and cargo facilities. Some of these diseases could cost the American economy tens of billions of dollars to contain and eradicate if they are found to be in the country.

Agriculture detector dogs, known as the beagle brigade, are an important tool in preventing these threats and eradicating them in the event they overcome our safeguards. Our beagle brigade is at work every day at customs screening in the airports for flights after returning from abroad, standing by to alert their handlers of contraband food, live animals, or other products that could harbor foreign pests and pose a threat to domestic crops or livestock.

An ounce of provision is worth a pound of cure. The brigade is well worth its value.

In addition to authorizing the training center, this bill requires the facility to ensure the health and well-being of the dogs under its care and provide opportunities for private adoption of retirement-age training dogs and dogs that did not complete the training.

Detector dogs work their best when they are handled humanely, and establishing this requirement in law would ensure that the facility continues to uphold this expectation.

I am pleased to note that this bill has the support of 50 organizations, representing veterinarians, agricultural producers, and animal health groups.

On a final note, two of my colleagues who helped lead this bill in the House, Drew Ferguson and Dan Kildee, are retiring. I am pleased that we can enact this bill as they conclude their extraordinary tenure in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to vote in support of this bill to help protect America's agriculture and our economy, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee).

Mr. Speaker, I am very, very proud to support the Beagle Brigade Act of 2023, and to have had the opportunity to work with my colleagues, Representatives Drew Ferguson, Dan Kildee, and Adrian Smith, and to have the support of our Senators, Senator Warnock and Senator Ernst from Iowa.

This is a vital piece of legislation, which protects American agriculture and keeps foreign animal and plant pests, as well as other diseases, out of our country. I think we have done a good day's work today, and I commend my colleagues for their joint efforts.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Representative Bishop, for yielding and for his work on this legislation.

We do a lot of big, controversial bills. Sometimes, we can actually come together as Democrats and Republicans to get something done that serves the interests and needs of the American people. This is a good example of that.

The Beagle Brigade Act, which I introduced, as has been said, with Representative Bishop, Representative Ferguson, and Representative Adrian Smith, will help protect our food supply from foreign pests and disease.

The bill authorizes the National Detector Dog Training Center. This center extensively trains detector dogs and their U.S. Customs and Border Protection handlers to sniff out prohibited agriculture items that could carry foreign plant or animal pests and diseases into our country.

As we have seen over the past year, it is critical that we have processes in place to protect our country and our agriculture system from those prohibited products that could introduce pests or disease.

Authorizing the United States Department of Agriculture's National Detector Dog Training Center ensures that the U.S. has a critical tool in the fight against foreign pests and diseases that have the potential to devastate all sectors of the agricultural economy.

As Representative Bishop has said, over 50 prominent agriculture, veterinarian, and trade organizations support our legislation.

The center trains dogs, mostly beagles--hence, the name of the bill, our nickname for it--and their handlers to detect prohibited fruits, vegetables, and meats in international passenger luggage, mailed packages, and vehicles entering the United States.

Dogs are selected from animal shelters, rescue groups, and private owners. Those that retire from the program or do not complete the training are offered for adoption.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad we have come together to advance this important piece of legislation.

It has been said, the most likely path for these dangerous substances coming into our food supply is through those ports of entry. This legislation will have a positive impact in protecting not only public health, but also protecting the industry.

I am grateful to some of the organizations I have worked with on this back in Michigan: the Michigan Milk Producers, the Michigan Pork Producers, and the Michigan Farm Bureau.

I am especially grateful to my colleagues. This is one of the last couple of days that I will serve in the House of Representatives, as has been said. I have been pleased to have good friendships here, and those friendships have developed into the kind of work that we can do together to advance the interests of the American people.

Representative Ferguson and I have become very good friends over the years. Representative Bishop and I have a special bond. He helped me through one of my more difficult personal health challenges. I will always be grateful to him for that and grateful for the opportunity to serve with him.

I am particularly happy that we are able to put an exclamation point on our joint service together today by seeing this legislation come to the floor. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Bishop, for those kind words. That was much appreciated.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1480, the Beagle Brigade Act of 2023. I was proud to join Representative Bishop in introducing the Beagle Brigade Act, which would provide permanent authorization for the National Detector Dog Training Center located in Newnan, Georgia.

The Beagle Brigade Act would permanently authorize the training center to ensure that America's food supply stays protected from potentially devastating foreign pests and diseases.

The National Detector Dog Training Center in Georgia's Third Congressional District does important work to properly train detector dogs to sniff out prohibited agricultural items in domestic and international trade.

I also thank Senator Joni Ernst and Senator Raphael Warnock from Georgia for their work on the Senate companion bill, S. 759. The bipartisan, bicameral effort in support of this legislation was important, and I look forward to the Beagle Brigade Act becoming law.