WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts today applauded proposed funding for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in the president’s Fiscal Year 2009 federal budget request and will work to ensure the funding remains a priority during the appropriations process.

"This marks another major step forward for the NBAF facility and shows the importance given to this lab to protect our country’s national security," Senator Roberts said. "I’m going to work with my colleagues to make sure this investment remains intact so that vital animal-health research is enhanced for the continued safety of the American people."

"By including $35.6 million in the budget for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, the president has made a strong commitment to critical animal-health research, which will bring us into the 21st century in our efforts to protect the American people and economy from potential threats," said Tom Thornton, President of the Kansas Bioscience Authority. "This is a key milestone on the path to building the NBAF in Kansas. We recognize this crucial investment and thank President Bush for his leadership."

The NBAF will provide Americans with a safe, secure, and state-of-the-art federal laboratory to develop integrated research and response capabilities to protect the public and the nation’s agriculture industry from naturally occurring and intentionally introduced disease threats.

Kansas is one of five finalists for the NBAF and is uniquely positioned to support the facility’s mission immediately due to its deep ties to agriculture, long-standing expertise in animal health and veterinary sciences, professional workforce, unprecedented level of public support, and one-of-a-kind facilities such as Kansas State University’s Biosecurity Research Institute.

The NBAF site selection process is ongoing, with the five finalists undergoing environmental impact statements that will inform the final selection of a site, expected to be this fall.

Senator Roberts was appointed by Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to be Honorary Chairman of the Kansas NBAF Task Force. 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. Since that time, Senator Roberts has worked on bringing the NBAF to Kansas, personally speaking with key Administration officials and hosting them on tours of the proposed site.

Roberts is a senior member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

For more information on the NBAF, visit www.dhs.gov/xres/labs/editorial_0762.shtm. For more information on the merits of bringing the NBAF to Kansas, visit www.nbafinkansas.org.

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