Lawmaker introduces resolution to move USDA to central Illinois
State Rep. Regan Deering, R-Decatur, has introduced House Resolution 177 urging President Donald Trump and the U.S. Congress to begin the process of relocating the USDA from Washington, D.C., to central Illinois.
Deering emphasized that crops don’t grow in a swamp, they grow in the fertile plains of central Illinois. She added that it's time the government relocated the USDA to a place where people are focused on planting crops, not just pushing paper.
“Bloomington and Decatur are home to major agribusiness giants like Archer-Daniels-Midland, Gromiant, Gromark and nearby universities such as [Illinois State University] and [University of Illinois]. These areas are hubs for agricultural innovation and some of the best producers in the country,” said Deering.
Deering is the granddaughter of Dwayne Andreas, who helped build ADM into an agribusiness giant.
According to Deering, the Strategic Withdrawal of Agencies for Meaningful Placement (SWAMP) Act, originally introduced in Congress, aims to move agencies out of the bureaucracy of Washington, D.C., and into “the heartland, closer to the people they impact the most.”
