Lynn Jenkins: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. DHS, under both the Bush and Obama administrations, has made it clear that a BSL 4…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. DHS, under both the Bush and Obama administrations, has made it clear that a BSL 4 lab is essential to our national security, and building a new structure to host the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility is both responsible and cost effective. Manhattan, Kansas, was selected as the new site for the NBAF after an exhaustive study by the Bush administration's DHS, and then reconfirmed by the current administration's 2012 budget. We need NBAF, and Manhattan is the best place to build it, a fact that Secretary Napolitano confirmed earlier this year in a hearing with the Appropriations Committee. While FEMA's State and local grants are important, increasing them by eliminating the funding for construction of this lab is simply irresponsible. Make no mistake about it; if we had a surplus, it might be nice to increase these grants. But the result of this amendment will be stopping or delaying construction of the nationally important NBAF facility and jeopardizing the security of our Nation's food supply. I urge the body to reject this amendment.”