{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/joined-by-iowa-delegation-and-governor-reynolds-grassley-makes-pitch-for-usda-to-bring-ars-projects-to-iowa-amid-departments-ongoing-reorganization-program", "Joined by Iowa Delegation and Governor Reynolds, Grassley Makes Pitch for USDA to Bring ARS Projects to Iowa Amid Department\u2019s Ongoing Reorganization Program", "2025-10-01", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Listen to Grassley discussing the letter HERE\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), along with Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) and Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, are calling on Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to relocate Agricultural Research Service (ARS) projects to Ames as part of the Department of Agriculture\u2019s (USDA) ongoing reorganization plan.\n\nAmes currently has one of the largest concentrations of USDA facilities and employees outside of Washington. The lawmakers and governor wrote the move would benefit farmers, producers and families nationwide.\n\n\u201cIowa serves as a prime location with its unmatched production of food and fuel. Our state has 35.7 million acres of land, more than 85% of which is used for agriculture. Iowa leads the nation in production of corn, soy, swine, beef, biofuels and more. Located in Ames, Iowa State University (ISU) works closely with the USDA, providing the agency with high-performance computing services to federal researchers,\u201d they wrote.\n\n\u201cMany of the studies conducted at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center [located in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.] align with Iowa State University and the Agricultural Research Service\u2019s efforts, including soybean genomics, hydrology and remote sensing, animal genomics, animal biosciences and biotechnology, adaptive cropping systems and bee research,\u201d they continued.\n\nTheir letter notes grocery prices in Iowa are the second lowest in the nation and Iowa\u2019s average cost of living falls 10.3% below the national average, providing more affordable opportunities for USDA employees.\n\n\u201cAs the heart of our nation and a leading agriculture producing state, Iowa brings firsthand knowledge and real-world experience to the USDA. To put it simply, Iowa knows agriculture and would contribute unparalleled opportunities for the agency. We...urge you to bring USDA ARS projects to Iowa\u2019s fields to benefit farmers, producers and families nationwide,\u201d they concluded.\n\nIowa also leads the nation in egg production, with around 45 million laying hens producing about 15 billion eggs a year.\n\nRead the full letter HERE and below.\n\nSeptember 30, 2025\n\nThe Honorable Brooke Rollins\n\nSecretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture\n\n1400 Independence Avenue, SW\n\nWashington, D.C. 20250\n\nDear Secretary Rollins,\n\nAs the United States Department of Agriculture continues its reorganization efforts, we ask that you continue consideration in bringing USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) projects to Ames, Iowa.\n\nIn conjunction with the mission of bringing federal agencies closer to constituents, Iowa serves as a prime location with its unmatched production of food and fuel. Our state has 35.7 million acres of land, more than 85% of which is used for agriculture. Iowa is a national leader in the production of corn, soy, swine, beef, biofuels, and more.\n\nLocated in Ames, Iowa State University (ISU) works closely with the USDA, providing the agency with high-performance computing services to federal researchers. Several students and professors at Iowa State prioritize their work and research with the USDA, many joining the agency after their time at ISU.\n\nAmes currently has one of the largest concentrations of USDA facilities and employees outside of Washington, D.C. The ARS National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment (NLAE), ARS National Animal Disease Center (NADC), ARS North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station (NCRPIS), and ARS Corn Insect and Crop Genetics Research Unit (CICGRU) are all currently based in Ames. It\u2019s also home to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NSVL) and the APHIS Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB). This advances the city\u2019s preparedness, minimizing transition complications for other ARS projects like those studying plant sciences, animal health, and the environment.\n\nFurther, many of the studies conducted at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center align with Iowa State University and the Agricultural Research Service\u2019s efforts including, soybean genomics, hydrology and remote sensing, animal genomics, animal biosciences and biotechnology, adaptive cropping systems, and bee research.\n\nNot only would Iowa benefit on the research front, but employees would be able to own homes and enjoy the lower cost of living. Iowa falls 10.3% below the average cost of living and ranks the 2nd lowest for grocery prices in 2025.\n\nAs the heart of our nation and a leading agriculture producing state, Iowa brings firsthand knowledge and real-world experience to the USDA. To put it simply, Iowa knows agriculture and would contribute unparalleled opportunities for the agency.\n\nWe, the Congressional Delegation of Iowa, urge you to bring USDA ARS projects to Iowa\u2019s fields to benefit farmers, producers, and families nationwide.\n\nThank you for your consideration to strengthen the USDA and its service to Americans through the relocation of essential research projects to the heartland of agriculture.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/joined-by-iowa-delegation-and-governor-reynolds-grassley-makes-pitch-for-usda-to-bring-ars-projects-to-iowa-amid-departments-ongoing-reorganization-program"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9746854193508625, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}