Making Appropriations For Agriculture, Rural Development, Food And Drug Administration And Related Agencies Programs For The Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2010--Conference Report

Floor Speech

MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND RELATED AGENCIES PROGRAMS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2010--CONFERENCE REPORT -- (Senate - October 08, 2009)

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Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate will pass H.R. 2997, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010 conference report.

This legislation will fund important programs, such as food safety inspection, agricultural research, and the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Programs such as these will benefit the entire Nation. My constituents will additionally benefit from a number of projects located throughout the State of Hawaii.

The bill will stimulate food and agricultural development in Hawaii through projects tailored to the State's needs. It will fund continued agricultural development and resource conservation programs through the local, community-based leadership of Hawaii's four Resource Conservation and Development Councils. It will foster food science and agricultural research that meets Hawaii's unique needs and that bolsters American competitiveness in such areas as floriculture, tropical fruit, and aquaculture.

Watershed and flood prevention projects in Hawaii also receive appropriate attention in this bill. Recent droughts underscore the importance of watershed projects to increase water storage capacity, delivery system efficiency, and water conservation. Projects on Maui and the Big Island will help make progress on the planning and construction of projects dealing with the limited natural resource of water.

Funding in the bill also includes programs to control invasive species in Hawaii such as termites, brown tree snakes, coqui frogs, and other alien pests and weeds that threaten agricultural lands and sensitive ecosystems. Hawaii is the only domestic supplier of varroa mite-free queen bees for honey producers and pollinators, and therefore the mite eradication efforts cultivated by this legislation are of national importance. Similarly, farmers in the continental United States will benefit from the establishment of a facility to provide a secure supply of sterile fruit flies used to control fruit flies that are destructive to fruit crops. Hawaii offers a premier location for rearing sterile fruit flies as four pestiferous fruit fly species are already established there.

In sum, this bill will fund programs meeting Hawaii's unique needs in addition to supporting local leadership that will aid agriculture nationally. I am glad to have advocated for this funding and thank the senior Senator from Hawaii, the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, as well as the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Agriculture, Rural Development, and FDA Subcommittee for their work in crafting and managing this bill.

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