Lawmakers on Thursday questioned the wisdom of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to relocate research programs within a massive agricultural funding bill.
Every five years, Congress passes a new farm bill that supports farmers and ranchers through funding, such as maintaining disaster programs and improving crop insurance.
President Donald Trump signed the $867 billion farm bill into law in December 2018. Since then, the USDA has begun implementing its research and rural development programs.
But additional changes to the implementation of the bill are conducted to ensure farmers and ranchers receive the support they need.
A House subcommittee held a hearing Thursday to review the potential effects of relocating two of the USDA’s research programs – the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Economic Research Service – from Washington within the $867 billion package to Kansas City.
Stacey Plaskett, a Democrat from the U.S. Virgin Islands, said in her opening remarks that Economic Research Service has a staff vacancy rate of 65%, and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture has a staff vacancy rate of 76%.
“These gaps in service reinforce the notion that this relocation was hurried, misguided and mismanaged,” said Plaskett, who is chairwoman of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research. “ERS and NIFA have been undermined at the very time these agencies require knowledgeable staff to implement farm bill changes, administer grants and complete critical economic reports.”
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the relocation of the offices to the Kansas City region in June on the basis that Kansas City had “proven itself to be (a) hub for all things agriculture and is a booming city in America’s heartland,” he said in a news release.
Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics Scott Hutchins said in his testimony that the relocations will “improve the USDA’s ability to attract and consistently retain highly qualified staff” with agricultural training.
“The work of NIFA and ERS is essential, and ERS and NIFA leadership … are working diligently to finalize this transition efficiently and with minimal disruption to our employees and mission critical work,” Hutchins said.
Relocating staff can upend the lives of federal workers and their families – similar to the concerns that have been raised with relocating the Bureau of Land Management headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction – but it also allows workers to be closer to the farmers and ranchers they represent.
Rep. Doug Lamalfa, R-Calif., said it is important for farmers and ranchers to have access to federal offices and employees.
However, despite the benefits of relocating west, staffing issues remained a prominent concern. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, said multiple former leaders of NIFA and ERS came before the House Appropriations Committee to emphasize how “devastating” the relocation would be.
“I can only look at this as bringing a lot of chaos to a very important department,” Pingree said.
Staffing vacancies resulting from the relocation have led to a lack of research on climate change, according to committee members, because most of those vacant spots could be filled by climate scientists equipped to conduct the research. Pingree said as a result, farmers do not have sufficient research to prepare for the effects of climate change on crops.
Hutchins responded that the agency is not disregarding climate change and is working on expediting the hiring process to fill vacant seats.
Aside from the relocation, hemp and cannabis research concerns were brought up by multiple lawmakers on the committee. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., asked Hutchins if the USDA has been working with the Environmental Protection Agency on research about hemp cultivation, given that it is a new crop and farmers have concerns and questions about it.
“NIFA research actually includes hemp, and they are in the process of conducting studies to incorporate hemp within the priorities,” Hutchins said.
An industrial hemp research study conducted by the ERS is under peer review, Hutchins said, and NIFA is working with Colorado State University to teach its own organization and workers about hemp and pesticide control to allow NIFA to best support farmers. Research about cannabis and pesticide production is also underway, Hutchins said, and is a priority for the agency.
Ayelet Sheffey is a student at American University in Washington, D.C., and an intern for The Journal.
