WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a lifelong family farmer and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, submitted questions for the record to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden following a committee hearing on USDA’s reorganization proposal Wednesday.

In his questions, Grassley asked Vaden to explain why Congress was not notified or consulted about the plan ahead of the announcement. He requested the agency share its view on the role of Congress in the reorganization process, including possible consultation on decisions like USDA hub locations.

Grassley highlighted the impact of USDA’s presence in Ames, including the Agriculture Research Service’s National Animal Disease Center, which is a world leader in animal health research, and the National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment, which leads cutting edge research on watershed management and soil health. Grassley asked if the agency plans to move any positions or projects to Ames.

Senators submit Questions For the Record (QFRs) to hearing witnesses to receive detailed, written responses.

The following are Grassley’s questions:

  1. Why was Congress not notified or consulted of plans for the reorganization despite so many in Congress supporting these plans?
  2. Will there be any flexibility for Congress to weigh in on the hubs that have been designated, the movement of positions to certain locations, or the vacating of certain properties such as the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center?
  3. Ames, Iowa is home to the Agriculture Research Service’s National Animal Disease Center and the National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment among others. Will USDA move any positions or projects to Ames, Iowa?
  4. What do you see as Congress’s role in this process? Will there be closer consultation with Congress moving forward?

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