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KEEP OUR POLLINATORS BUZZING
(Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today during National Pollinators Week to recognize the important work of our natural pollinators.
Each year, Pollinator Week focuses on promoting the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research.
It is time we protect natural pollinator species, such as honeybees, native bees, birds, bats, and butterflies, as essential partners of farmers and ranchers in producing food.
These pollinators are vital to keeping items like fruits, nuts, and vegetables in our diets. And healthy pollinator populations are crucial to the continued economic well-being of rural America and the U.S. economy.
Pollinators provide pollination services to over 180,000 different plant species and more than 1,200 crops. This equates to one out of every three bites of food eaten being there because of pollinators.
In addition, pollinators added $217 billion to the global economy, and honeybees alone are responsible for between $1.2 and $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity in the United States.
Madam Speaker, as someone who has a beehive in his backyard, I fully support efforts to raise awareness and keep our pollinators buzzing for generations to come.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 110
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
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