U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) spearheaded a bipartisan, bicameral plea from almost a dozen members in both houses of Congress who want two new agencies under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) headquartered in the Kansas City area.
According to a May 20 letter sent by Sen. Moran and his colleagues to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, the region’s quality of life, coupled with a highly skilled workforce, should be considered by the USDA, which has included the Greater Kansas City Region on the short list of possible locations for its Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
“As you continue to evaluate the finalists, we are confident you will find Kansas City to excel in each of the criteria considered by USDA: capital and operating costs, workforce, logistics and quality of life for employees,” the legislators wrote.
Among the lawmakers who joined Sen. Moran in signing the letter are U.S. Sens. Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Roy Blunt (R-MO), as well as U.S. Reps. Ron Estes (R-KS), Sam Graves (R-MO) and Sharice Davids (D-KS).
Kansas City’s highly skilled workforce includes roughly 5,000 USDA employees and contractors who work along the nearby Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, which stretches from Manhattan, Kan., to Columbia, Mo., as well as at more than a dozen land-grant universities and research institutions.
The lawmakers also noted that Kansas is the future home of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), a premier animal disease research facility.
“This concentration of animal health companies, NBAF and land-grant universities will not only complement the research capabilities of ERS and NIFA, but continue to foster a talented workforce to meet the personnel needs of USDA in the future,” the lawmakers wrote.
Relocating ERS and NIFA to the middle of the country also would offer “an opportunity to enhance the agencies’ respective roles within USDA and their ability to serve farmers, ranchers and rural communities,” the members wrote.
The quality of life for USDA employees, the lawmakers assured Secretary Perdue, would improve because “Kansas City is a premier place for people to live and work.”
The city has a revitalized downtown area, for example, and shorter commute times compared to Washington, D.C.