Text: HR00058 Text: HR00060 Text: HR00000 - HR00099 Text: HR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 1 2 BY WHITAKER 1 3 A Resolution to urge that the President of the United 1 4 States, the United States Department Of Agriculture, 1 5 and the United States Congress take all necessary 1 6 measures to prevent the spread of the soybean rust 1 7 fungus into the United States, including by 1 8 suspending any imports of soybean crops that 1 9 originate in regions where the disease has been found 1 10 to be present. 1 11 WHEREAS, soybean rust is the common name of two 1 12 fungal species phakopsora pachyrhizi and phakopsora 1 13 meibomiae causing devastating yield losses in soybean 1 14 production regions in both the eastern and western 1 15 hemispheres; and 1 16 WHEREAS, the soybean rust fungus is reported in an 1 17 increasing number of countries including numerous 1 18 pacific nations such as Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, and 1 19 Australia, as well as African countries such as South 1 20 Africa and Zimbabwe, South American countries such as 1 21 Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, and even the state of 1 22 Hawaii; and 1 23 WHEREAS, once introduced into a region, the soybean 1 24 rust fungus rapidly spreads by wind-borne spores, and 1 25 is difficult to control because of its similarity with 1 26 other soybean diseases in its early stages and the 1 27 large number of legume hosts that may harbor the 1 28 disease, with 30 species in 17 genera of legumes 1 29 reported to be hosts in nature; and 1 30 WHEREAS, since soybean rust fungus first appeared 2 1 in Paraguay approximately four years ago, the disease 2 2 has spread 1,000 miles into the western soybean 2 3 production regions of Brazil and now is present in 80 2 4 percent of Brazil's soybean production regions; and 2 5 WHEREAS, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 2 6 Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of 2 7 Agriculture has issued an alert concerning the 2 8 disease, declaring that nations where the soybean rust 2 9 fungus is present report yield losses from 10 to 80 2 10 percent; and 2 11 WHEREAS, the soybean rust fungus now threatens to 2 12 travel to the continental United States, up from the 2 13 Central American land bridge into Texas or by island 2 14 hopping from Puerto Rico and Cuba to Florida; and 2 15 WHEREAS, a virulent strain of the soybean rust 2 16 fungus could be carried by any number of sources, 2 17 including crop debris, into the United States and 2 18 particularly into midwest production areas, which 2 19 could result in billions of dollars in losses in crop 2 20 yields, increased food prices for American consumers, 2 21 and reduced profits for American farmers; NOW 2 22 THEREFORE, 2 23 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 2 24 That the Iowa House of Representatives urges and 2 25 requests the President of the United States, the 2 26 United States Department of Agriculture, and the 2 27 United States Congress to take all necessary measures 2 28 to prevent the spread of the soybean rust fungus into 2 29 the United States, including by suspending any imports 2 30 of soybean crops that originate in regions where the 3 1 disease has been found to be present; and 3 2 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this 3 3 Resolution be sent to the President of the United 3 4 States; the Secretary of Agriculture, United States 3 5 Department of Agriculture; and the administrator of 3 6 the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the 3 7 United States Department of Agriculture; and 3 8 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this 3 9 Resolution be sent to the President of the Senate of 3 10 the United States; the Speaker of the House of 3 11 Representatives of the United States; the Chair of the 3 12 United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, 3 13 Nutrition, and Forestry; and the Chair of the United 3 14 States House of Representatives Committee on 3 15 Agriculture; and 3 16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this 3 17 Resolution be sent to Iowa's congressional delegation. 3 18 LSB 3516HH 80 3 19 da/pj/5.1
Text: HR00058 Text: HR00060 Text: HR00000 - HR00099 Text: HR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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