Agriculture Secretary Defends Proposed Office Relocations

Government Executive: Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue late last week responded to lawmakers and outside critics of his proposal to move two Washington-based offices elsewhere in the country to place them closer to farming community stakeholders.

In a Sept. 20 letter responding to queries from Sens. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., leaders of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry panel, Perdue justified the planned move affecting some 700 employees as a way to save on payroll and facilities costs while easing recruitment of job candidates who live nearer to land-grant universities.

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