[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 12, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S3412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 329. Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Warner, Mr. 
Brown, and Mr. Kaine) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 1790, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2020 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in subtitle H of title X, insert 
     the following:

     SEC. 10__. REAFFIRMING THE AUTHORITY OF THE UNDER SECRETARY 
                   OF AGRICULTURE FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND 
                   ECONOMICS.

       Subtitle F of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization 
     Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6971) is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:

     ``SEC. 252. REAFFIRMING THE AUTHORITY OF THE UNDER SECRETARY.

       ``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding the authority specified 
     in Reorganization Plan Numbered 2 of 1953 (67 Stat. 633; 5 
     U.S.C. App.; 7 U.S.C. 2201 note) or any other provision of 
     Federal law relating to the authority of the Secretary, 
     including section 296--
       ``(1) the Agricultural Research Service, the Economic 
     Research Service, the National Agricultural Statistics 
     Service, and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture 
     (and any successor agency to any of those agencies) shall be 
     within the research, education, and economics mission area of 
     the Department;
       ``(2) the authority to administer each of those agencies is 
     vested in the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and 
     Economics; and
       ``(3) the authority to administer those agencies may not be 
     vested in the head of another agency within the Department.
       ``(b) Location of Agencies.--The Secretary shall locate the 
     headquarters of the Economic Research Service and the 
     National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the majority 
     of the staff of each of those agencies, within the National 
     Capital Region to ensure maximum coordination and 
     interaction--
       ``(1) between those agencies;
       ``(2) between each of those agencies and the agencies 
     delivering the food and agricultural programs and services of 
     the Department; and
       ``(3) between each of those agencies and other Federal 
     science agencies (including science agencies of the 
     Department).''.
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