PEORIA – Representatives Darin LaHood (IL-18) and Cheri Bustos (IL-17) sent a joint letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Administrator Chavonda Jacobs-Young inviting her to visit the Peoria Ag Lab. In Congress, Representatives LaHood and Bustos have been advocates for the Peoria Ag Lab and its workers – and they invited Administrator Jacobs-Young to see firsthand the value of the work done at the facility.
 
“The Peoria Ag Lab is essential to the success of Peoria and our agriculture community as a whole. That is why my colleague Rep. Bustos and I want to showcase the incredible talent and work being conducted for the greater good of American agriculture to the Agricultural Research Service Administrator Dr. Jacobs-Young,” stated Rep. LaHood. “We are glad to continue our ongoing bipartisan efforts working together to advocate here in Congress to ensure the Ag Lab receives the appropriate funding, continue advocacy directly with the Administrator and show her the ever-evolving critical research conducted at the Ag Lab. We hope this will further emphasize the Lab’s value as we enter the FY 2020 budgeting and appropriations cycle.”
 
“The Peoria Ag Lab is a pillar of our community – driving innovation that for decades has helped patients, farmers and consumers across the country,” Congresswoman Bustos said. “Despite their incredible discoveries, I’ve been disappointed by this administration’s continued proposals to eliminate or significantly undermine the work at the Peoria Ag Lab. That’s why it’s so important for Administrator Jacobs-Young to visit Peoria and see their critical work firsthand. I’ll continue partnering with Congressman LaHood to support and protect their work for the future.”
 
Read the letter from Reps. Bustos and LaHood here.