ICYMI: Chairman Strong Leads Hearing to Counter Agroterrorism Threats

WASHINGTON - Today, Representative Dale Strong (AL-05), Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, convened a hearing to examine federal preparedness against agroterrorism threats targeting America's food and agriculture systems.

Witnesses from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) discussed steps to strengthen border screening for invasive species and pathogens, improve interagency coordination, enhance training for state and local stakeholders, and advance the implementation of the Trump Administration's National Farm Security Action Plan.

"Our adversaries could cripple the heart of our homeland without ever firing a single shot by targeting agriculture with chemical and biological agents and carrying out cyberattacks on the technology that farms depend on."

"I applaud President Donald Trump and his administration for issuing the National Farm Security Action Plan to enhance our nation's preparedness. This effort reflects the reality of the agroterrorism threat - it is real, evolving, and demands action across the federal government," said Strong.

The hearing also focused on vulnerabilities to foreign ownership of U.S. farmland near critical infrastructure and sensitive military installations. Strong highlighted a 2024 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, which identified gaps in federal reporting requirements for foreign farmland purchases near military bases.

Congressman Strong has been at the forefront of confronting these critical threats to our homeland. Strong's legislation, H.R. 1438, the "Protecting America's Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act," would prohibit the purchase or lease of U.S. agricultural land by individuals associated with the governments of China and other foreign adversaries.

BACKGROUND:
The hearing builds on a September 2025 session that brought together academic and subject-matter experts, including academic leaders from Alabama A&M University and Auburn University, to examine how hostile actors could exploit vulnerabilities in America's food and agricultural systems and destabilize the nation's supply chain.

Those concerns are reflected in the Trump Administration's National Farm Security Action Plan, a government-wide strategy aimed at strengthening agricultural biosecurity, improving information sharing across federal agencies, enhancing border screening for invasive species and pathogens, and tightening oversight of foreign ownership of U.S. farmland near critical infrastructure and military installations.

Recent events have further reinforced the urgency of these efforts. Just last week, law enforcement in Las Vegas recovered biological materials from an illegal lab and transferred them to the National Bioforensic Analysis Center for immediate testing. This incident, coupled with ongoing attempts by foreign actors to introduce harmful biological materials into the United States, underscores the need for strong detection, coordination, and rapid response capabilities.

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The hearing can be watched on YouTube.