Congress steps in to fight spotted lanternflies

Zoom in: The Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act would authorize the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to make grants available for research projects related to mitigating the spread of the spotted lanternfly.

Context: These sap-sucking invasive insects, native to Asia, first appeared in the state in 2014 and have since spread to most Pennsylvania counties and over a dozen states.

What they're saying: Pennsylvania could face hundreds of millions of dollars in economic damage and the loss of thousands of agriculture jobs from lanternfly damage, said U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Butler).

• "We must protect our farmers and harvesters from this invasive and dangerous threat," said Kelly, whose Western Pennsylvania district includes one of the country's premier vineyards for Concord grapes.

U.S. Reps. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Chester), Joe Morelle (D-New York) and Nick Langworthy (R-New York) introduced the bill with Kelly.

Go deeper: How to deal with spotted lanternflies.