Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 7/11/19

House Democrats, including Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, are siding with a real estate management company that claims the department broke the law in its effort to uproot two ag research agencies out of the Beltway, reports Pro Ag's Liz Crampton.

As MA readers were first to know, NBL Associates, the landlord of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's current location in Southwest D.C., has formally protested how the department carried out its search for a new headquarters. USDA's internal watchdog is already investigating whether proper procedures were followed.

Still seeking answers: "This formal protest further demonstrates that serious questions remain unanswered about the Trump administration's decision-making process," said Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.), chairwoman of the House Transportation subcommittee with jurisdiction over government buildings.

Titus vowed in May to hold up USDA leasing proposals until she gets more information about the motivations behind the move. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has said the relocation will save taxpayer money and bring the agencies closer to major farm states.

Hoyer said NBL's complaint is further proof that the relocation has been mishandled: "This is yet another reason that USDA ought to halt this hasty relocation process," he told POLITICO in a statement.