From the Swamp to the Heartland
Straight Talk with Sam
Dear Friend, Thomas Jefferson once said, "The government closest to the people serves the people best." I believe he is absolutely right. There's a reason why the information, regulations, and rules coming out of Washington, D.C. don't always match reality. Recently, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that they intend to move more of their operations closer to the people by relocating the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture out of our nation's capital saving money and operating closer to the people they serve. As a result, these agencies are now searching for their new location. This is a step in the right direction by the Trump Administration. It makes no sense for federal government agencies whose core functions are to serve the rural population to be packed into expensive buildings in the Washington, D.C. metro area, costing us more and potentially benefiting us less. The Economic Research Service looks at trends and emerging issues in agriculture, food, the environment and rural America. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture invests in initiatives that ensure the long-term viability of agriculture. I can't think of a location better than Missouri to carry out those missions. That's why I joined with my colleagues Reps. Vicky Hartzler and Emanuel Cleaver to lead a bipartisan effort to suggest that Kansas City would be the perfect location. The USDA has already recognized that they function better outside of Washington, DC by previously relocating the Risk Management Agency (RMA) and the Food Safety Administration (FSA) to Kansas City. Kansas City has a talented workforce and a lower cost-of-living that is higher quality. Additionally, we are a transportation hub for the Midwest and you can't get much more centrally located in the United States than Kansas City. I believe the USDA recognized what we already knew when they relocated the RMA and the FSA here. For those same reasons, we are well-positioned to attract these other agencies. No doubt this would be a boon to our economy bringing more jobs to the area, but I'm excited that even more core functions related to agriculture will be much closer to the people. As your Congressman, I will continue to work with my colleagues and local stakeholders to provide critical information for the USDA to make their final relocation decision. I believe we have the perfect location for these quality jobs and hope that we are successful in bringing them to Kansas City.
Image  Sam Graves
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