MANHATTAN, Kan. – Celebrating a historic, economic and scientific achievement for Kansas, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts today said the new federal National Bio and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF) will provide a robust defense of our nation’s plant and animal health and will provide opportunity for generations of Kansans. Roberts, Chairman of the NBAF Steering Committee, made the remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the final phase of construction of the facility.

“NBAF is for Kansas,” Roberts said. “We fought for it and earned it on the merits. NBAF is the realization of all that we hope for Kansas: opportunity and preservation of our beloved rural way of life for our children and our grandchildren.

“Today we aren’t just celebrating a groundbreaking. We are preparing to provide robust protections to our plant and animal population to keep this nation, and its economy, safe.”

Audio here. Full text of Senator Roberts’ remarks at the groundbreaking is below.

Background on NBAF

NBAF is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) laboratory that will be the federal government’s most secure location to conduct plant and animal health research. DHS originally considered 17 sites in 12 states before eventually selecting Manhattan to be the location of the new facility.

The NBAF in Manhattan will be a 500,000 square foot building that will create as many as 500 high-paying, scientific federal jobs in the state of Kansas, plus will bring additional jobs in research partnerships in the state. Over a 20 year period, it is estimated that the facility will have a $3.5 billion impact on the Kansas economy. The construction of facility is expected to create 1,500 construction jobs.

For more on Senator Roberts’ work to bring the NBAF to Kansas please visit https://www.roberts.senate.gov/NBAF/  for video testimonials, NBAF timeline and photos of the effort. Audio and video on the site include Senator Roberts, Former DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, Former DHS Undersecretary for Science and Technology Admiral Jay Cohen, and President Emeritus of Kansas State University John Wefald.

For a video featuring Senator Roberts telling the story of NBAF, click <here> or on the photo below.

Roberts’ Work to Protect Plant and Animal Health

In January of 2002, Senator Roberts addressed a special gathering of members of the Kansas Legislature assembled in Manhattan to urge them to invest in state research infrastructure to create new jobs, improve the economy and strengthen national security.

This led to the Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI) at Kansas State University, a bio-level 3 laboratory that examines pathways by which pathogens can spread and look at issues related to countermeasures and animal carcass disposal after a potentially catastrophic event.

The Board of Regents named the BRI building the “Pat Roberts Hall.”

Senator Roberts’efforts to bring the NBAF to Kansas began in 2005 when the Congress approved funding for site selection and preconstruction planning of a new NBAF to replace Plum Island. Senator Roberts began working with Kansas State University officials and encouraged the University and the state to make a proposal for locating this facility in Kansas. Manhattan and Kansas State were able to offer the use of the BRI until the NBAF could be built.

In a rare address to a joint session of the Kansas House and Senate in February of 2007, Senator Roberts called the competition for the NBAF “one of the most exciting scientific and economic development opportunities to ever come before the state of Kansas. Rarely do we have the opportunity to work together on a project so large, that we can honestly say it has the potential to impact the lives of all Kansans, our children and grandchildren, and economy of the state for years to come. The building will be one of the most technologically advanced labs in the world. It would be a gem on the Kansas prairie.”

The legislature put forward an aggressive cost share, and together with the other merits of the Manhattan site, the location near the BRI was chosen as the site for the new NBAF.

Following, the Kansas Congressional delegation worked together to secure federal funding to complete construction of both the Central Utilities Plant and NBAF.

Roberts is Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. He served as Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence from 2003-2007.

The following are Senator Roberts’ remarks at the groundbreaking as prepared for delivery:

For many of us here today, who have fought the good fight and never gave up, it is hard to believe that this special day is finally here.

It is equally hard to understand why it took so damn long.

But, the important thing is that we all persevered and after 16 years, we are standing on ground about to become the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility – a facility whose importance cannot be overstated – The work done here will lead our nation’s efforts in safeguarding our nation’s food supply and that effort is world-wide in scope.

Ladies and gentlemen, you will soon hear from the Secretary of Agriculture on how this laboratory will affect agriculture and you’ll hear from the Secretary of Homeland Security on how this lab will protect our homeland. 

So, let me tell you what this lab will do for Kansas.

In ten years, I see a freshly minted high school senior, let’s say from Ada, who grew up on a farm. This student, let’s name her Franki, in honor of my wife of 45 years – the woman who has always been right there by my side, through all the ups and down, and not just with NBAF! So, Franki’s sister and brother want to keep the farm running, but Franki’s always been good at math and science. And I mean really good. She was offered a full ride to Iowa State and Texas. But ……she doesn’t give those institutions a second thought. Why? Because they don’t compare to Kansas State.

She knows that when she graduates, she doesn’t have to worry about finding a job. She doesn’t have to move to Chicago or Dallas. She can get her degree, and work in the Animal Health Corridor right here at home. She can earn a master’s degree, her PHD and conduct research in the BRI, similar to the research DHS is conducting up the road.

She can go on and get a job with a firm that has moved to Kansas to draw from the expertise of the scientists located at the world renowned NBAF in Manhattan.

Her work is fulfilling. She is working to protect that farm where she came from. She is working on a new vaccine that will help her family’s cow-calf operation and others like it around the globe.

So this isn’t just a building or a lab. This isn’t just critical research. This ladies and gentlemen, is opportunity. And it is our opportunity.

This lab is for Kansas. We fought for it and earned it on the merits. This lab is the realization of all that we hope for Kansas: opportunity, fulfillment and preservation of our beloved rural way of life for our children and our grandchildren.

Now, we all know the difficulties it took to get here. It’s been a 16 year effort. Our state motto – to the stars through difficulties – sums up the journey to get us to this groundbreaking. But, fortunately, we’ve had a great team.

Today, I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who made this project a priority.

Sam, whether as Governor or Senator, you never stopped fighting to make NBAF a reality. I appreciate the strong partnership we have shared over the many years. You and your staff always found a way to make mission impossible mission accomplished.

Lynn, Tim, Kevin, Jerry; thank you for all did and your dedication no matter how high the hurdle we faced.  As a delegation, we were united with unwavering purpose.

President Schulz, you have led us through many challenges and have reminded us there are other challenges we must and will meet. That’s called foresight. We thank you.

Dr. Brothers, when you first came to Kansas State, you recognized THIS facility and THIS University ARE science and technology. We thank you.

Secretary Johnson, you have been a modern-day Paul Revere in your clarion call for homeland security consciousness.  Thank you for your leadership and support of this facility.  By the way, sir, with regard to NBAF, you have no idea how many notes, cards, messages, phone calls and yes, even Valentines, I sent to your predecessor: Janet Napolitano.  Look, a man’s got to do, what he’s got to do. I won’t send you a Valentine…..unless you want one!

And, thank you for your coordination with USDA and Secretary Vilsack. You have fought hard on behalf of our farmers, ranchers, all of agriculture and NBAF.

For me, what started out as an ominous and threatening international security wake-up call, quickly became a mission, a mission shared with so many who have helped make this facility come to reality. 

In 1999, as the first Chairman of the newly-formed Emerging Threats Subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I became aware of the threat our nation faced against intentionally introduced pathogens to be weaponized and aimed at destroying plant and animal population; not to mention similar efforts regarding strains of human pathogens with no antidote.

I was invited to Obolensk, one of Russia’s secret cities. There, I saw warehouses of anthrax, hoof and mouth, Newcastle disease, African swine fever not to mention vaults with strains of small pox, yellow fever, Ebola -- all without antidotes. All of this caused me to reflect upon the “evil empire” comments of President Reagan.

Upon returning to Washington, it was obvious we did not have a first responder plan; the nation’s premier level four research facility at Plum Island was severely degraded, and we lacked a national strategic plan. 

I spoke with then-President Jon Wefald and emphasized the immediate and dramatic need for action.

I asked Jon, “Can K-State do this?” And Jon said, “K-State has to do this!”

Within weeks, President Wefald brought Ron Trewyn and others to testify before my Emerging Threats Subcommittee on the threat of agro-terrorism. They testified that while our nation was vulnerable, the key was research and K-State had that key.

In the wake of 9/11, terrorism became part of our nomenclature and farmers and ranchers came to the realization how vulnerable their livestock and fields were. As the Department of Homeland Security stood up, DHS recognized a new facility was needed if we were going to be successful in preventing and, if the worst happened, Managing a terrorist attack upon our nation’s food supply not to mention the resulting havoc and chaos.

It was obvious what needed to be done – and yet, it was about as easy as pushing a rope.  But our goal was to the stars, so we set to work.

I spoke to the Kansas legislature in 2007 during the fierce site competition stating, “The merits are on our side.”  Just ask our special guest Admiral Jay Cohen, former Undersecretary at the DHS -- the man in charge of the bid competition -- how tough it was.  This patriot went through political hell for doing the right thing…because…”the merits were on our side.”

While Kansas did have the merits, it also had the money. God bless the Kansas State legislature. They stood up time and again. Thank you.

With the site selection and state commitment over, the next hurdle was federal funding. 

Fortunately, with the help of the entire delegation, we were, finally, able to get the federal funds to build NBAF. 

I also want to thank the members in both the Senate and the House whose support was unwavering.  This was a national calling.

We also owe a debt of gratitude to all those working so hard on the ground. Thanks to Ron Trewyn for his vision, hard work, and the friendships he cultivated to make sure this research would get done.  The same goes for Marty Vanier and Sue Peterson.      

Again, I want to thank Presidents Wefald and Schulz and K-State for seeing the bigger picture and making the best possible choice -- from our initial contribution to biosecurity research, the BRI, to NBAF and K-State achieving THE prominent name in preparedness and security in behalf of our nation’s food supply.

As a result, we have the Animal Health Corridor, anchored by Manhattan, Kansas, and running all the way to Columbia, Missouri. This corridor, OUR corridor, is home to more than 300 animal health companies, representing the largest concentration in the world.

Today we aren’t just celebrating a groundbreaking. We are preparing to provide robust protections our plant and animal population require to keep this nation, and its economy, safe.

On a final and personal note, it is with a sense of pride and gratitude that I say I am a graduate of Kansas State University. Through thick and thin, I bleed purple.

I am so proud that our state’s best and brightest will be working here at home, raising their families and realizing a vibrant future in a new economy. We are protecting our nation, economy, our food supply and our rural way of life.

As President John F. Kennedy astutely said, “success has a thousand fathers and failure is an orphan.” There are a thousand fathers here today – no orphans.

 

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