MEDIA ADVISORY: Chairman Strong Announces Hearing With DHS, USDA to Assess Agroterrorism Threat

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Rep. Dale W. Strong (R-AL), chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, announced a hearing for Wednesday, February 11, to examine the federal government's capacity to prevent, mitigate, and respond to agroterrorism threats to food and agriculture.

"From deadly pathogens to cyberattacks, agroterrorism has the potential to undermine our food supply and disrupt its supply chain," Chairman Strong said. "Our agricultural sector is foundational to our way of life and our national security, and adversaries like China are looking to take advantage of any perceived vulnerability. Building on our previous hearing that provided vital insight from subject matter experts, we will now examine how the federal government, particularly DHS and USDA, can enhance agricultural supply chain resilience and better identify dangerous biological agents or other threats before they put the health and safety of Americans at risk."

DETAILS:

What: A Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology hearing entitled "Surveying the Threat of Agroterrorism, Part II: Assessing Federal Government Efforts."

When: Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET

Where: 310 Cannon House Office Building

WITNESSES:

Ms. Suzette Kelly
Acting Executive Director, Agriculture Programs and Trade Liaison, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Mr. Matt Allen
Director, Office of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Mr. Jeff Cooper
Program Manager, Probabilistic Analysis for National Threats Hazards and Risks, Science and Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Dr. Ashley Grant
Senior Health Security and Biodefense Advisor, Office of Health Security, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

BACKGROUND:

In September 2025, the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology held a hearing to discuss the threat of agroterrorism facing America's food supply following an attempt by Chinese nationals to smuggle a potentially harmful fungus into the country earlier that year. Witness testimony was provided by Daniel K. Wims, Ph.D., president of Alabama A&M University; Cris Young, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, COL USA (ret.), professor of practice at Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine; Marty Vanier, DVM, director of the National Agricultural Biosecurity Center and associate director of the Biosecurity Research Institute at Kanas State University; and Asha M. George, DrPH, executive director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense.

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