Good morning. Were going to order. Over two years ago, we kicked off the 2018 farmville, and the whole process was by holding that hearing at Kansas City University. If humans later, we held a hearing in this room. We are from the United States department of agriculture officials. We heard about a Critical Role in Agriculture Researchers play throughout our countrys history. We also heard about the Research Priorities for a 2018 farmville. The knees are certainly great. Every day our producers are counter extreme weather just to name a few things. There are challenges with right to do so with minimal federal resources in an aging infrastructure. The United States produces the safest most affordable food in the world. Ever and in crafting the agriculture and provement act of 2019, Ranking Member deborah safford and myself and i along with members of this committee recognize that we have to continue to build on the strong history of Agriculture Research in the United States. An enactment of the bill, the primary department of agriculture, Research Education where we authorize, including Agriculture Research and the National Institute of food and agriculture. I invite you to stay informed the farms including hetrick and smith lever, were extended and competitive Grant Programs are included to support research facilities. Provisions were included to bring equity to 1890 and 94 institutions, the farming Ranch Assistance Network was reauthorized and strengthened to support the Mental Health of farmers and individuals facing highly stressful working conditions. New authorities were established including Agriculture Advanced Research and development authority. Thats a corner. It was modeled after authorities and other agencies including darla and barnett which allows the usda to carry out advanced research and development of qualified products. Technologies and research tools. During the farmville process, budgets were tight. Many difficult choices were made in an effort to negotiate a bill that provide certainty and predictability. Notably the Research Title was one of the few and the farmville to receive an increase in inventory funding over the life of the bill. In fact it includes nearly 800 million in mandatory funding over five years for Research Programs. That is a big investment. A needed investment. I am very proud of the bipartisan effort to support Agriculture Research and agriculture improve an act of 2018 and i know my Ranking Member shares their pride. This morning i look forward to hearing an update from the department about the invitation about these updated and new provisions. Im also interested to hear about the status of other efforts that we related to Research Education. Economics, thats a remission area. Including the relocation of the Economic Research service to the kansas city region. My home state of kansas, hamza strong history of Agriculture Research including the Kansas City University and the national bio and aggregate test facility. They are currently under construction. Kansas city and on the way out to manhattan. The relocation of this regent will allow these 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 of economy. With any significant structural change, it is vital, that we ensure the Research Missions remained intact. And it is supported and strengthened for this nations growers. We need to ensure that the department continues to produce quality analytic reports without delay during this transition. From the onset of farmville process, Agriculture Research was something every member could unite behind and support. This is true regardless of what state each member hails from or what crops are grown there. This bipartisan buy support for Agriculture Research, will continue. In his key as we seek to keep working together to strengthen the Us Agriculture. I recognize the distinguished Ranking Members and offer her remarks. See if i think you this very important hearing. Before giving my open remarking i want to put into the record it with your agreement and testimony from a number of groups and individuals regarding the real locations of eras. This includes statements from organizations representing researchers, agricultural economists, and former usda researchers from both republican and democratic administrations. I would ask permission. Thank you very much. Thank you very much for the hearing as i indicated i share the chairmans commitments whether its then really a source of supply for us in terms of support for not only traditional your goals are at the new foundation that we have now had in place for two farm bills. We Work Together on. Doctor hutchins, welcome back and thank you for being here. Agriculture research has been at the heart of the department of agriculture since its beginning and 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 bulkier propagate and distribute agriculture knowledge. That Strong Foundation created our modern system of landgrant universities and universities including mr. Cameron of Michigan State and kansas state. And also lead to breakthroughs that have made farmers more productive and more profitable, and more resilient. The development of the first hybrid corn seeds have resulted in better yields in many parts of crops. Extension specialists help farmers utilize Crop Rotation to replenish soil after deductible. Usda studies have made sweet more resilient to drought and disease develop more to trishas right varieties and improved vaccines. To prevent footandmouth disease. Even our farm. A wide variety of Interesting ResearchImportant Research. It is an enhanced all life for americans improving the disposable diaper. The military. Resistant to mosquitoes and developing better turf for nfl fields so my detroit Kansas City Chiefs without turning up the grass. Even with these great innovations, [laughter] is my opening statement. [laughter] even with these great innovations, we consistently hear we need more research. And abroad, array of research. Not los. Thats why the bipartisan 2018 farmville, increase funding for usda Research Efforts and animal disease. And specialty crops, urban agriculture, organics, and expanded public and private partnership for food and Agriculture Research. And personally, the bipartisan commitment to Agriculture Research which started number 150 years ago, is now at risk. I am deeply concerned that this administration is undermining the foundation of the usda Scientific Research mission. The administrations haphazard decision to relocate to critically Important Research institutions, the Economic Research service and the National Institute of food and agriculture, it will affect real people who rely on the Usda Services and amorites capacity to support farmers families and Rural Communities for years to come. And for what question were its still unclear to me a problem the usda is going to solve with this move. But we can see the problems and the risks related. To this move. The administrations requiring to uproot their families and move by september 30th, even though they have it secured a Permanent Office space. Their questions about their authority and budget to the relocation, according to the usda at least 63 percent of employees directed to move will leave instead of relocating. 63 percent. Or more. Thats on top of extremely high current vacancy rates of these agencies. Rebuilding an entire workforce will take time in the interim these agencies will not have the capacity to do their important work. Usda will also lose replaceable expertise your replaceable expertise. For example usda is moving is probably, an army veteran originating from india to his work reports is critical to exporting expanding export markets. Supporting transparent Commodity Prices and strengthening world economies. Usda is losing Jeffrey Steiner one of the nations leading experts on hemp research. Which we are doing a hearing on this as we move forward. The leading expert on amp research whose knowledge wouldve helped develop new markets for him which was legalized in the farmville. Usda is losing tim steinberg, whose Economic Research supports rural manufacturing and business innovation. His critical work on the competitiveness of our allamerica was shutdown on september 30th, because no one else in the department is qualified to work with this confidential highly sensitive data. There are hundreds of more stories like these. The knowledge that we are trolling away in the expertise we are throwing away with this move. Its no wonder that leaving siding says that grant universities and officials from both sides of the aisle stand and competition to this move. The administration could keep these experts from leaving by giving them employees the flexibility to continue the work here until at least a Permanent Location is ready. The administration could extend the deadline for researchers to decide whether they would leave their job or relocate themselves in their families to a new city or over a thousand miles away. Instead the administration is forcing out its employed with rushed politically calculated ultimatums designed to be real important agriCultural Research. With the budget proposals that have cut usda by 50 percent prickle rejected on both sides of the aisle but im concerned this is an attempt to go about congress and to carry out those reductions and capacities. It is clear to me this is not a relocation but a demolition failed attempt to bypass the administration so stop to salvage this decision it hurts far more than usda employees of this is not stop farmers and families in Rural Communities that we suffer in the long word run prickle thank you mister chairman. We have oats at 11 30 a. M. Doctor Scott Hutchins is a deputy secretary at the department of agriculture prior to working at the department and most recently as a global Research Development leader of agro science receiving his bachelors degree on entomology from harvard and a masters and his doctorate from iowa state. He last testified in this room in november after nominated to serve as the undersecretary for Research Education and economics and it was reported in and was voted a second time welcome back to the committee we look forward to your testimony please proceeds i thank you good morning chairman robertson Ranking Member and members of the committee thank you for the opportunity to discuss the provisions of the 2018 farm bill. Research education usda is an Incredible Team and powerful force for agriculture comprised of four agencies agricultural Research ServiceEconomic ResearchService Statistics service i will give updates on each of the updates on current topics. Ars under the leadership is the primary Research Agency of usda it has a long track record of scientific breakthroughs and also one of the two agencies responsible for the standup of management acro bio defense impasse in kansas just recently was pleased to cosign a memorandum of agreement with the department of Homeland Security to enable the transfer to the usda fargo and those that are a trusted source of high quality and objective Economic Research to enhance public and private decisionmaking recent reports of highlighted trends of antibiotics is slow of retail food prices nation of food loss at the farm level and has provided study showing the impact agriculture has on the larger economy making shifts on productivity and public versus private r d sector investments. And a. S. Has timely accurate and useful statistics to Us Agriculture to have hundreds of surveys each year through the entire agriculture community. Earlier this year we were proud to have the opportunity to provide the most visible report of the census of agriculture. National institute of food and agriculture is the Research Agency providing partnership and leadership and addressing the National Priorities of transformer practices. Primarily does this new formula and with the support of Workforce Development and agriculture including four h and in 2018 it funded programs 104,000 with Curriculum Development through four h nifa has a new generation of community leaders. The office of chief scientist has supporting all usda through the Science Council facilitating with that important function and oversight of science and integrity. With regard to the 2018 farm bill implementation first let me congratulate this committee and in particular chairman robertson the Ranking Member for the positive bill in support of Us Agriculture. We held a special listening session to begin the process of the farm bill implementation with all leadership present. While each agencies are included in the farm bill, the vast majority of those provisions contained i am pleased to report that key expectations of the legislation funded and aggressively implementing across the department. With regards to these agencies secretary perdue announced we will relocate to the kansas city region after a long process that is a vibrant urban center in the heartland growing agriculture and a home to the workforce already. The ability to attract top talent with numerous agricultural constituents will enhance the mission of these agencies and longterm. Usda is fully committed to see them thrive as missioncritical agencies and in fact welcoming new employees on monday so thank you for the opportunity to be here today i respect the role this committee plays in the mission and look forward to answering your questions prickle thank you for the unwavering bipartisan support this committee has only shown for the committed one Critical Research on behalf of Us Agriculture its an honor to support usda mission to do right and feed everyone. I be happy to answer your questions and mckay want to remind everybody time is very limited today we have oats at 11 30 a. M. But if we are still here in session and we will break maybe 14 minutes. And i will enforce the five minute rule. I think i kept mine under five. [laughter] i want to encourage people to be as brief as they can i know there is a lot of concern with regards to the relocation issue i think the distinguished member you have the support for questions to be submitted for the record i know the department will respond i will make sure that. Doctor, the 2018 farm bill was truly a bipartisan collaboration to members of the committee as one example is the new advanced Research Development authority for we have worked closely with this department to ensure innovation with private entities and development solutions. And then to utilize this new authority to complement your question and you find that necessary. Thank you for the question a truly unique opportunity and agriculture are much like darpa to have that partnering with unique ways to allow usda and ag research to stay on the cutting edge with technology. We would envision to operate similarly in these agencies and we would love to collaborate to see how they could be incorporated if that potential collaboration word transpire between public and private sector. Unfortunately at this point in time that we stand ready and excited to participate as you have envisioned it and the broader point the us with that bag Innovation Strategy not just the capability so we can benefit from the total integration to stay