MANHATTAN – Earlier this year, Kansans expressed questions and concerns regarding a proposal by the USDA to close the Manhattan Area Office of Rural Development and relocate the nine remaining employees to Topeka.
Seeking information, Congressman Huelskamp’s office made multiple requests to the USDA requesting a copy of such proposal. After repeated attempts and weeks gone by, the USDA refused to release their proposal and instead informed the Congressman’s office that he would have to submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and wait the typical months for a response.
Not satisfied by the reply, Congressman Huelskamp wrote a letter directly to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting a copy of the reorganization proposal, or specific rationale for not providing it in writing, not later than April 9, 2014. In the letter, Congressman Huelskamp expressed concerns raised by Kansans that this plan would station nearly half of all Kansas Rural Development staff in an urban center and further away from those living in more rural areas of Kansas. Rep. Huelskamp issued the following statement:
“Two weeks have gone by since USDA received my letter and I still do not have a response to my questions. Why is the federal government stonewalling the people of the Big First? This lack of transparency is quite concerning to me especially over the fact that as a Member of Congress I cannot receive answers from the USDA for my constituents. This is completely unacceptable.”
The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce has also joined with Congressman Huelskamp in addressing the USDA’s unwillingness to share information. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Lyle Butler commented, “The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce is concerned about the potential closing and relocation of the Manhattan USDA Rural Development Office out of our region of the State without any apparent public discussion or information as to the rational or any potential benefits.” He added, “Our local office appears centrally located to the 27 rural counties it serves and we are trying to understand the motivation for this potential closure and move.”
