Senator Marshall: The USDA is Coming to Kansas City
Senator Marshall Questions Deputy Secretary of Agriculture About the USDA Reorganization
Washington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), questioned Deputy Secretary of Agriculture,The Honorable Stephen Alexander Vaden, during a recent Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry hearing focused on the recently announced USDA reorganizational proposal.
Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full exchange.
Highlights from the hearing include:
On why the USDA relocation to Kansas City makes sense:
Senator Marshall: “Mr. Vaden, welcome. Glad you’re here today. In your testimony, you were mentioning some of the advantages of moving to some of these communities. And I would just point out that you failed to mention that moving to Kansas City that suddenly you would have the advantage of being a Chiefs fan, rather than suffering through another year here with the Washington Commanders. You failed to mention, to be within an hour of the most storied basketball program in the nation, and just barely two hours away from the first land-grant university in America.
“And I just would want to give you a chance to talk a little bit more. You think about the Kansas City Metro, within a two-hour drive of the Iowa State University, the Nebraska University, Missouri, Arkansas…. How far away is Auburn? Not too far. So, my point is, you know what? You can’t coach talent. You have to have talent, and within just miles of there, some of the greatest ag research in the world. How important is that to American agriculture to have, let alone the affordability issues you mentioned?”
Deputy Secretary Vaden: “It’s vital. And I want to add to the mix, NBAF. We haven’t forgotten about that. You haven’t either. I know there’s some unfinished business left there. But when you think about the potential that facility has and the technology and level of research that can go on there that are vital for the future of American agriculture, you’ve pointed to many of the reasons why Kansas City also joined as one of our five hubs.
“The Department put some thought into this. We want to spark that level of collaboration that you have noted, whether it be with our land grant and non-land grant university partners, whether it be with individual farmers, whether it be with the local Chamber of Commerce in an area that is driven and motivated, even though it may be in an urban setting, by agriculture.
“I know that you’re well aware that the Federal Reserve has a location in Kansas City, and that we’re looking at the shape of the agricultural economy for inclusion in the Beige Book, so we look to what the Kansas City Fed has to say. USDA will be able to take advantage of all of these synergies, and not only Kansas City, but the other hubs that we have laid out.”
On the USDA’s right to reinitiate the relocation process:
Senator Marshall: “Over the past four years, it was reported that only 6% of USDA employees were in the office as well. And more and more, just a crescendo of complaints from my ag producers back home that they could work with their local FSA officer or their conservation officer, but then that report would get somehow clogged here in DC. I want to compliment the White House on the $10 billion that was appropriated in [the] spring; within days, my farmers had the help that they needed.
“And then, more recently, I think it was a $16 billion, so something is working, right from a standpoint of customer services. And I just can’t help but think when you’re when you have people working for USDA out there, going to church, going to the soccer match, all those type of things with the local farmers and ranchers, is going to be a better service of wealth. So just talk about customer service, how that was going to be impacted by these people, the net, net moving out into the hinterlands, as we call it.”
Deputy Secretary Vaden: “Well, I don’t consider it the hinterlands, I consider it home, Senator. But with regard to having more people in the field, we agree with you that we think the level of service will improve. Not only do we agree with you, even if we had a disagreement, the Congress has legislated on this point, and this is another matter that drove our consideration of this plan, and that’s looking at USDA reorganization authority, which was granted to us by the Congress in 1953.
“And if you actually look at the statute, I’m a former judge, so I tend to look at statutes. What does the statute say? The statute says, in carrying out this law, quote, ‘the Secretary shall seek to simplify and make efficient the operation of the Department of Agriculture, to place the administration of farm programs close to the state and local levels,’ close quote from the statute. This is exactly what Congress intended: the maximum amount of USDA resources dedicated out in the field, not in Washington, D.C.”
Senator Marshall: “Just want to make one last point, President Trump’s tariffs are working. He has made incredible trade deals that are going to open up markets that we never had access to before. We’ve never sold a cheeseburger in all of Europe. Ethanol: 40% of our corn crop goes to ethanol. Suddenly, the EU, UK, and all these countries are going to be buying ethanol as well. We’re seeing manufacturing jobs move back to this country because of these tariffs as well. American agriculture will benefit significantly from long-term trade. Agreements for long-term success as well, and we can’t wait to see what’s next coming out of the White House and the tariffs. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.”
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Contact: Payton Fuller
