The Department of Agriculture says fewer than 40% of the researchers whose jobs are being transferred from Washington, D.C., to Kansas City will make the move to the Midwest.
The Kansas City Star reports that U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced in June that the USDA would move more than 550 jobs to Kansas City. A USDA spokesperson told The Star on Tuesday that 145 workers will follow their jobs to Kansas City, while 250 will leave the agency.
Members of the Kansas and Missouri congressional delegations and the states' governors praised the USDA's move, saying the research agencies are a good fit for their region. But critics argued that moving them will make it harder for federal policymakers to get objective research.
