Members of Missouri’s congressional delegation in both parties are praising the decision by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to select Kansas City, Missouri as the site for two major USDA facilities.
U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City (September 2018 file photo courtesy of Congressman Cleaver’s office)
USDA announced its decision to relocate the facilities to the “greater Kansas City area” in June, but it wasn’t formally announced until Thursday that the office site would be on Pennsylvania Avenue in Kansas City. USDA is relocating its Economic Research Service (ERS) and its National Institute of Food and Agriculture Policy (NIFA) agencies.
USDA chose Kansas City over potential sites in North Carolina and Indiana.
U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, told Missourinet in June that the decision would bring about 550 jobs to the Kansas City region, with average wages between $80,000 and $100,000.
Pennsylvania Avenue is located in Congressman Cleaver’s district.
“I am pleased to welcome the U.S. Department of Agriculture offices of Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture to Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District. Together these institutions and their employees will bolster the agricultural research sector in the Greater Kansas City region to the benefit of the entire nation. A move like this is never easy on employees or their families; however, as the Congressional Representative from Kansas City, I can assure you that Kansas Citians stand ready to make your transition as seamless as possible. We are ecstatic to have you here, and we look forward to your commendable research continuing in the Show-Me State,” Cleaver said in a statement.
Governor Mike Parson and U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, both Republicans, also praise USDA’s decision, saying it puts the agencies closer to constituencies.
“I’ve been proud to advocate for the USDA move and finalizing the site selection marks a huge step forward,” Senator Blunt said in a statement. “Bringing these two important ag research agencies closer to the people they serve and the leading research institutions that support their mission is the right move.”
Blunt also praised the USDA decision, during an August interview with Missourinet at the State Fair in Sedalia.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas (D) is also happy, and praises the bipartisan regional efforts to land the jobs. Mayor Lucas notes Kansas City is an essential part of the animal health corridor.
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