Kings County Times

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David G. Valadao (CA-22) introduced the Safeguarding Our Supply Chains Act. The bipartisan legislation aims to improve coordination between the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to address theft within the nation's supply chains. Industry leaders have voiced their support for Congressman Valadao’s initiative.

“The trucking industry takes great pride in delivering America’s freight safely and on time; however, the billions of tons of goods transported by trucks from coast to coast have increasingly become a prime target for organized crime rings, putting truck drivers at risk and raising costs for consumers,” said American Trucking Associations Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs, Henry Hanscom. “ATA commends Congressman Valadao for introducing legislation to address this alarming trend and safeguard our supply chain. The Supply Chain Fraud and Theft Task Force created by this bill would strengthen the partnership between motor carriers, law enforcement, the government, and other supply chain partners to strike an effective blow against organized crime.”

“USDEC thanks Congressman Valadao for taking measures today to reign in the ongoing shipping container break-ins that dairy exporters are experiencing,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. “American dairy products destined for international customers are becoming collateral damage as organized crime groups indiscriminately open intermodal containers, adding extra costs to exporters and raising food safety and quality concerns. We look forward to working to advance this important legislation into law.”

“In the face of sophisticated and targeted cargo theft operations, railroads have taken numerous steps to bolster security across their networks including deploying innovative technologies such as UAS and license plate identification technology. If policymakers are serious about ending these unlawful actions, enhancing coordination across federal entities is essential. Railroads strongly support Rep. Valadao’s legislation that will go a long way to help disrupt and prevent these illegal operations against the nation’s supply chain,” said President and CEO of Association of American Railroads Ian Jefferies.

“U.S. dairy producers need an export supply chain that is reliable and secure,” said Gregg Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation. “We thank Rep. Valadao for introducing legislation today to enhance policing of cargo break-ins that are increasingly affecting dairy exporters.”

“The 'Safeguarding Our Supply Chains Act' aligns with UPS’s commitment to the safe and timely delivery of our customers' packages, ensuring they can trust in the reliability of our services. This bill will provide the necessary resources to combat organized crime and protect the movement of American goods throughout our country while upholding the economic integrity of our national supply chain from rail to road, to retail,” said Mike Kiely, UPS President of Global Government Affairs.

"Criminal attacks on the U.S. supply chain impact everyone. To protect the U.S. economy, a well-coordinated approach from Federal, State, Local, and Tribal police officials along with an engaged business community is essential for success. This important legislation will enhance and strengthen ongoing efforts to safeguard our customers’ freight,” said President and CEO Katie Farmer of BNSF Railway.

“Leading retailers rely on our nation’s supply chains to deliver for consumers every single day. Any disruption to the safety or efficiency of that system is cause for concern both for businesses that rely on it and for the larger economy," stated Sarah Gilmore, Director of Supply Chain Policy at Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). "Organized retail crime rings continue to harm community retailers and their employees while exploiting supply chains."

The Safeguarding Our Supply Chains Act has garnered support from multiple organizations including: Association of American Railroads (AAR), American Trucking Associations (ATA), National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), UPS, Union Pacific (UP), U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCC), Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), National Retail Federation (NRF), National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), and BNSF Railway.