PEORIA, IL — Congressman Darin LaHood released the following statement regarding the President’s proposed cut to the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in his FY19 budget proposal:

“Peoria’s Ag Lab, and the researchers employed there, continue to serve a vital role in our local community and I am disappointed to see that the White House once again propose it to be cut. We must remember that the President’s budget proposal is just that—a proposal—and Congress holds the ultimate power of the purse. Similar to last year, this will remain a top priority for me to work in a bipartisan and bicameral way at the local, state, and federal levels to maintain funding for the lab and ensure the facility remains an integral part of Peoria and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research efforts.”