Legislation put forth in the House of Representatives this week would create an office of intelligence within the Agriculture Department to keep tabs on foreign threats to America’s farms.
If passed, the Agricultural Intelligence Measures, or AIM, Act introduced Monday by Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., would establish a central hub of experts expected to keep the farm-focused department and its leadership fully tuned in to cyber threats, potential intellectual property theft and other risks posed by foreign actors to the U.S. agricultural landscape.
“It’s the congressman’s belief that establishing this Intelligence Office inside the USDA will help synchronize the efforts of those who understand American agriculture with the mission of the Intelligence Community,” Crawford’s spokesperson Sara Robertson told Nextgov Wednesday. “This will help paint a better picture of any potential threats from foreign actors for the Secretary of Agriculture and better equip ourselves to think more holistically about U.S. national security.”
The legislation would authorize $970,000 to run the office for fiscal 2021.
According to the AIM Act’s text viewed by Nextgov, the office would specifically hone in on pursuits and moves by foreign entities to steal U.S. agriculture knowledge or technology, as well as foreign-driven efforts to “implement biological warfare attacks, cyber or clandestine operations, or other means of sabotaging and disrupting” America’s agriculture.
The office’s director would be appointed by the secretary, and the work renders significant experience within the intelligence community, the bill notes. That person would be able to staff the office as they deem appropriate but appoint no more than five full-time equivalent positions at pay rates equal to or above the maximum rate of basic pay for GS–15 of th ..
Support the originator by clicking the read the rest link below.
