Speech #1100165139

USDA remains integrally involved in the inspection process. with continuing responsibilities for the training of CBP agricultural specialists and CBP officers. training of canine teams. setting rules and regulations for the agriculture inspection process. and for identifying the pests that CBP agricultural specialists intercept. I do appreciate the managers recognition that the agricultural specialists within CBP who are responsible for inspecting agricultural products at the border need to remain within DHS. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 brought together in the CBP directorate of DHS customs inspectors from the Treasury Department. immigration inspectors from the Justice Department. and agricultural inspectors from the Agriculture Department. The purpose was to create a single. integrated force at our borders to keep out people and goods that pose a threat. For the first time. all those who protect our borders report up a single chain of command. To do otherwise than to keep the agricultural inspectors within CBP would splinter the integrated border security force we have been building for 5 years. and weaken both our homeland and agricultural security. The managers further suggest that DHS may not be placing sufficient priority on agricultural security and agricultural inspections and they appear to be concerned that DHS may not be paying sufficient attention to the concerns of the agricultural community. In fact. the agriculture mission has repeatedly received the highest level of attention.