Friday on cspan2 and cspan. Org or listen with the free cspan radio app. The house will be in order. For 40 years cspan has been providing america unfiltered coverage of congress. The white house. The supreme court. And Public Policy events from washington d. C. And around the country. You can make up your own mind. Created by cable in 1978. Cspan is brought by the local cable or satellite provider. Cspan, your unfiltered view of government. Next a hearing on Agriculture Research and the status of the implementation of the 2018 farm bill. We hear about relocating parts of the Agriculture Department to the kansas city region. This hearing was held by the Senate Agriculture committee. Good morning. I call this meeting to order. Over two years ago we kicked off the 2018 farm bill, and that whole process was by holding a hearing at Kansas State University of our Land Grant Institution. A few months later there was a hearing in this room. What we heard from the officials representatives from Research Institutions and agriculture producers. We heard about the Critical Role that can goture research has played throughout our countrys history. We also heard about the Research Priorities for the 2018 farm bill. The needs are certainly great. Every day our producers and counterextreme and researchers and institutions tasked with addressing the challenges are directed to do so with minimal federal resources and an aging infrastructure. The United States produces the safest most affordable and abundant food and fiber in the world ever. And crafting the agriculture improvement act of 2018 the distinguished Ranking Member deborah and myself and i along with members of this committee recognize that we had to continue to build on the strong history of Agriculture Research in the United States. With enactment of the bill, the primary department of Agriculture Research, education, and extension of authorities were reauthorized including the Agricultural Research and the National Institute of food and agricultu agriculture. The hatch act and the smith lever were extended. And Grant Programs were included to support Research Facilities and equipment improvements. Provisions were included to bring equity to 1890 and 1994 institutions. The farm and ranch assistance at work was reauthorized and strengthened to support the Mental Health of farmers and individuals facing highly stressful working conditions. New authorities were established including the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority. It was modelled after authorities at other agencies including darpa and garda. During the farm bill process budgets were tight and many difficult choices were made in an effort to negotiate a bill that provides certainty and predictability. Notably, the Research Title was one of the few in the farm bill to receive an increase in mandatory funding over the life of the bill. In fact, it included nearly 80 0 million in mandatory funding over five years for research programs. Thats a big, needed investment. I am very proud of the bipartisan effort to support Agriculture Research and the agriculture act of 2018 and i know my Ranking Member shares that pride. This morning i look forward to hearing an update from the department about the implementation of the updated and new provisions. I am also interested to hear about the status of other efforts related to economics. Thats the remission area including the relocation of the Economic Research service ers to the kansas city region. My home state of kansas has a strong history of Agriculture Research including the Kansas State University, the national bio and agridefense facility currently under construction and the broader Animal Health quarter stretching from colombia, missouri to kansas city on the way out to manhattan. The relocation would allow the agencies to access the many existing resources and benefits of the region. Research and analysis are essential to the work that the department does for producers. And for the agriculture economy. With any significant structural change, it is vital that we ensure the Research Missions remain intact. And is supported and strengthened for this nations growers. For instance, we need to ensure that the department continues to produce quality ports without delay during this transition. From theon set of the farm bill, it was something every member would unite behind and support. This is true regardless of state. This bipartisan support for Agricultural Research will continue and is key as we seek to keep working together to strengthen u. S. Agriculture. I recognize the distinguished Ranking Member for her remarks. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman. And thank you very much for holding what is a very important hearing before giving my opening remarks, i want to put into the record with your agreement testimony from a number of groups and individuals regarding the relocations of ers and nifa. This includes statements from organizations representing researchers, agricultural economists and former usda researchers from both republican and democratic administrations. I would ask submission. Thank you very much for the hearing. I share the chairmans commitment of what has been really a source of pride for us in terms of support for not only traditional agriculture but the new foundation that we have now had in place for two farm bills that we worked together on. Dr. Hutchins welcome back and thank you for being here. Agriculture research has been at the heart of the department of agriculture since the beginning. You have a very important responsibility at a very challenging time in my judgment. In 1862 president lincoln created the usda with the mission to procure propagate and distribute agricultural knowledge. That Strong Foundation created our modern system of land grant universities including mr. Chairman our alma maters of Michigan State and kansas state. It has also led to breakthroughs that have made our farmers more productive, more profitable, and more resilient. The development of the first hybrid corn seeds have resulted in better yields and many types of crops. Extension specialists help farmers utilize Crop Rotation to replenish soil after the dust bowl. Usda studies have made heat more resilient to heat and disease and developed more nutritious rice varieties and improved vaccines to prevent foot and mouth disease. Even off the farm a wide variety of interesting Important Research. Ag research has improved the diz posable diaper, making the u. S. Military uniforms resistance to mosquitos. And developing better turf for nfl fields so my Detroit Lions can chair up the chairmans Kansas City Chiefs without tearing up the grass. Even with great its my opening statement, mr. Chairman. Even with these great innovations we consistently hear we need more research in a broad array of research. Not less. Thats why the bipartisan 2018 farm bill increased funding for usda and specialty crops, urban can goture, organics and expanded foundation for food and Agricultural Research. Unfortuna unfortunately the bipartisan commitment to Agricultural Research which started over 150 years ago is now at risk. I am deeply concerned that this administration is undermining the foundation of the usdas Scientific Research mission. The administrations decision to relocate two important Research Institutions, the Economic Research service and the National Institute of food and agriculture will effect real people who rely on the Usda Services and hamper its capacity to support farmers, families, and Rural Communities for years to come. And for what . For what . Its still unclear to me what problem the usda is trying to solve with this move. But we can see the problems and the risks related to this move. The administration is requiring employees to uproot their families and move by september 20th, even though they havent secured a Permanent Office space. There are questions about their authority and budget for the relocation. According to usda at least 63 of employees directed to move will leave instead of relocating. 63 . Or more. Thats on top of extremely high current vacancy rates at these agencies. Rebuilding an entire work force will take time. In the interim these agencies will not have the capacity to do their important work. The usda will also lose irreplaceable expertise. For example, the usda is losing vince crawly an army veteran originally from indiana whose work publishing reports is critical to exporting expanding export markets. Supporting transparent Commodity Prices and strengthening rural economies. We are losing jeffrey designer, one of the nations leading experts on Hemp Research whose knowledge would have helped develop new markets for hemp which was legalized in the farm bill. The usda is losing tim stainburg who supports Business Innovation and rural manufacturing. His critical work on the competitiveness of Rural America will shut down because no one else in the department is qualified to work with this confidential highly sensitive data. There are hundreds more stories like this that we could share. The knowledge we are throwing away and the expertise were throwing away with this move. Its no wonder that former officials from both sides of the aisle stand in staunch opposition to this move. Now, the administration could keep these experts from leaving by giving employees the flexibility to continue their important work here until at least a Permanent Location is ready. The administration could extend the deadline for researchers to decide whether they will leave their jobs or relocate themselves and their families to a new city or over 1,000 miles away. Instead, the administration is forcing out its employees with rushed politically calculated you wouultimatums ultimatums. They dont say that lightly. This relocation fits a troubling pattern of this administration undermining the important work of the usda. Including Critical Research our farmers need to address the impacts of Severe Weather caused by the changing climate. Congress has resoundingly rejected multiple budget proposals that would have cut usda Economic Research by 50 . Rejected. Both sides of the aisle. Im concerned the socalled relocation is an attempt to go around congress and to carry out the steep reductions and capacity and research anyway. Its clear to me this is not a relocation. Its a demolition. Its a thinly veiled ideological attempt to drive away key u. S. Employees and bypass the intent of congress. I urge the administration to stop this and salvage what valuable expertise is left. This decision does far more than hurt usda employees. If this chaotic plan is not stopped, our farmers, our families and Rural Communities will be the ones that suffer in the long run. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Let me remind members of the Committee Time is very limited. We have votes at 11 30. Thats most unfortunate given the issues that are concerned. I would like to welcome our witness this morning dr. Scott hutchins, the deputy secretary for research, education, and economics at the department of agriculture prior to working at the department she held a variety of roles in the Agriculture Research and development as the global Research Development leader in an agricultural division. He received his bachelors degree from auburn university. And his doctorate from iowa state university. Notably he last testified in this room in november after he was nominated to serve as the undersecretary for Research Education and economics and his nomination was reported out of this committee on a voice vote for a second time on may 14th. Welcome back to the committee, doctor, i look forward to your testimony. Please proceed. Thank you. Good morning. Chairman roberts, Ranking Members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss implementation of related provisions in the 2018 farm bill. The Research EducationEconomics Mission tear at usda is an Incredible Team and powerful force for the good of u. S. Agriculture its comprised of the Agricultural Research service, the Economic Research service, the National Agricultural institute of food and agriculture. Ill offer a few updates on each followed by comments on current topics. Ars, under the leadership of jacob youngs is the primary Intermural Research agency. Theres a long track of ars is also one of the two usda agencies responsible for the standup and management of the national bio and ag ro defense facility in kansas. Just recently with chairman roberts joining i was pleased to cosi cosign a memorandum of agreement with the department of Homeland Security to enable the transfer of responsibilities to usda. Ers currently led by actinged a min traitor leave tag continues to be a trusted source of objective research to inform and enhance public and private decision making. Theres highlighted trends of a slowing of retail food Price Inflation y. Food loss amounts at the farm level. And the impact that agriculture has on the larger economy. Theyve modelled shifts on farm productivity and balance of invest. The National AgricultureStatistics Service provides timely accurate and useful statistics and service to u. S. Agriculture. They conduct hundreds of surveys and produce reports for the entire Agricultural Sector including production and supplies of food and fiber, prices paid and received by farmer, farm labor and wages. Farm finances, chemical use and changes in the demographics. Earlier we were proud to have the opportunity to provide nasas largest and most visible report. The National Institute of food and agricultural is usdas Extramural Research agency providing funding for Extension Programs and research that address National Agriculture practices. If it does this through grants. The support Work Force Development including the 4h organization. In 2018 they funded programs supported over 104 students through recruitment, retention and faculty development. Through 4h they support a new generation of community leaders. The office of the chief scientists serves to coordinate all four agencies and all of usda. The Council Facilities coordination and includes the important function of scientific integrity. With regard to the 2018 farm bill, first let me congratulate this committee and particularly chairman roberts and Ranking Member stab know on the timely and positive bill in support of u. S. Agriculture. Ree held a special listening session on march 121st of 21st of this year with all the ree leadership present. While each of the four agencies and the office of the chief scientists are included in the farm bill, the vast majority of the provisions pertained to nifa and im pleased to report theyve addressed the key expectatio expectations. With regard to relocating the agencies secretary announced they will relocate to the kansas city region after a long process. The kansas city region is a vibrant urban center in the heartland growing agricultural hub and a home to considerable federal work force already. Longterm savings the ability to attract top agricultural talent in