U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, announced Monday he was seeking an exemption from the federal hiring freeze for necessary staff at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan.
Moran, a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, recently hosted U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden in Manhattan to highlight the critical research occurring at NBAF and Kansas State University’s Biosecurity Research Institute.
“On a recent tour of the facility, USDA staff highlighted the efforts being made to finish critical repairs and bring NBAF to its full operational capacity,” said Moran in a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins. “A lack of staff in both science and operational roles will hinder NBAF’s function and mission, threatening national food and agriculture security.
