Sunflower State News

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, questioned U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Alexander Vaden about the department's proposed reorganization plan. The USDA announced last week that it intends to relocate staff to five hub locations: Kansas City, Missouri; Raleigh, North Carolina; Indianapolis, Indiana; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Salt Lake City, Utah.

“I express my appreciation for the idea that work by federal employees and work for federal taxpayers and constituents, particularly farmers and ranchers, can be accomplished outside the D.C. area,” said Sen. Moran. “I’ve been through this issue with you previously in the earlier administration and was pleased by the decision to have two research agencies relocated in Kansas City."

During the hearing, Sen. Moran stated that employees affected by the relocation should be required to appear in person rather than working remotely.

He also asked Deputy Secretary Vaden to confirm that USDA’s Kansas City Commodity Office will continue its involvement in international food aid programs such as Food for Peace. Additionally, he invited Vaden to visit USDA’s National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) located in Manhattan, Kansas.

The hearing recalled previous agency moves under the Trump administration when both the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) were moved from Washington, D.C., to Kansas City.