Recognizing National Pollinator Week

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Pollinator Week.

Our pollinators are an invaluable asset to our food production, environment, and economy. Over 100 of our crops and $18 billion in crop production revenue rely on pollinators like the monarch butterfly, over 250 species of bumblebees, and hummingbirds. They help sustain life on Earth and we are obligated to protect them.

As a country, we have taken necessary steps to rally around pollinators. In 2019, NIFA awarded $4 million in competitive grants for pollinator health related projects and the Appropriations Committee funded $400,000 for a designated pollinator research coordinator in the United States Department of Agriculture. It is reassuring to see united support from the USDA, Department of the Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency, each of which signed proclamations declaring this week National Pollinator Week.

My district is the proud home of three cities designated as a ``Monarch City USA,'' including Oak Harbor, Port Clinton, and Sandusky, Ohio. These three cities have contributed to the protection of the monarch butterfly by planting milkweed and nectar plants, among other conservation efforts. This year the Trump Administration will decide whether the monarch butterfly should be added to the endangered species list as populations continue a harrowing multi-decade decline. I urge the Administration to use science and common sense when considering their decision.

In honor of National Pollinator Week, please join me in celebrating the beauty and utility of one of nature's finest constructs, and renewing our promise to protect these keystone species: pollinators.

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