DORGAN SECURES FUNDING TO ENSURE GF NUTRITION LAB STAYS OPEN
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
CONTACT: Justin Kitsch
or Brenden Timpe
PHONE: 202-224-2551
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) has announced that action taken by a key subcommittee will fully fund the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center through next year, rejecting the Bush Administration’s proposal to close the facility.
Dorgan secured $10.2 million to keep the facility open through his seat on the Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Appropriations Subcommittee. The subcommittee holds the checkbook for Agricultural Research Service labs throughout the nation and approved Dorgan’s request in its annual appropriations bill.
In early February of this year, the Bush Administration released its budget plan for Fiscal Year 2009 calling for the facility to be eliminated. Dorgan opposed the move, saying it is the only nutrition lab in a rural state and moving the jobs to Maryland and California will end up costing more money.
“It’s been a long few months for employees at Grand Forks’ Human Nutrition Research Center,” Dorgan said. “I’m very pleased to announce today that this appropriations subcommittee has decided to keep this facility open contrary to the Bush Administration’s proposal. The work done at this facility is very important to rural America and Native Americans. The facility is also one of the best in the nation.”
Research at the Human Nutrition Research Center focuses on health problems that face rural America including diabetes, heart disease and obesity. A closure would have moved dozens of jobs to other parts of the country and closed the only nutrition lab in a rural state.
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