Critics of Agriculture’s Planned Office Moves Seek Funding Halt

As the Agriculture Department proceeds with site selection for a controversial move of two research offices outside of Washington, dozens of science and advocacy groups have stepped up their opposition. On Nov. 13, a coalition of some 60 science, research, and advocacy groups sent House appropriators a letter requesting that no funding for the moves which would affect about 700 employees at the Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture be provided in fiscal 2019. They also asked for a delay in the process “in order for Congress and stakeholders to understand the problems USDA seeks to address and the ramifications of the USDA’s proposed moves.” Signatories ranged from the American Dairy Science Association to the American Educational Research Association to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.