OLATHE, Kan. — With the mission of protecting the American food supply and agriculture economy, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) is an urgent national priority, and fiscal year 2011 funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will ensure the project stays on track.

The department announced today it will work with Congress to dedicate $40 million from previously unobligated funds to move forward with construction of the NBAF in Manhattan, Kan., pushing cumulative funding for the project to more than $150 million.

U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback underscored the importance of the DHS action.

“Even in this very tough economic climate, the NBAF is mission critical to keep our food supply safe,” Brownback said. “I appreciate the administration acknowledging the importance of the NBAF and DHS for re-purposing $40 million for NBAF funding this year. This will keep the project on schedule in a fiscally responsible way.”

Other Kansas leaders also commented on the DHS action.

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts: “Secretary Napolitano and Under Secretary O’Toole have assured us from day one they are committed to this important project. Given critical security challenges and scarce federal dollars, this significant $40 million investment reflects that continued commitment.”

U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran: “Just last week, a bipartisan commission gave the federal government an ‘F’ for failing to prepare for the threat of biological terrorism. When it comes to the security of America’s food supply and our agriculture economy, failure is not an option. The NBAF is a must if we are to secure our country from biological attacks. I am pleased DHS has budgeted dollars to keep NBAF in Manhattan on track.”

U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins: “It is critical to our nation’s security that the NBAF continues to move forward. I am pleased that DHS remains committed to bringing the NBAF to Kansas and has budgeted $40 million to ensure NBAF construction moves forward. I will continue working with my colleagues in Kansas and with DHS to ensure we do not lose any speed on this project.”

U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore: “I, along with the rest of the Kansas congressional delegation, have worked hard to bring the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility to Kansas, which will create much-needed jobs in Kansas and make our food supply less vulnerable to terrorism. I commend President Obama’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and am pleased that he has found already existing funds that can be reprogrammed to fully fund the development of the NBAF in the coming year. The NBAF is a crucial component in our country’s national security, and it should be funded as such.”

U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt: “As the NBAF project in Manhattan continues to take shape, we will be working closely with DHS on its commitment to re-program $40 million for the facility at K-State. The Kansas facility will play a central role in protecting our nation’s food supply and providing security for our agriculture economy. We remain committed to seeing this project through to completion.”

Kansas Bioscience Authority president Tom Thornton: “There is a critical gap in our nation’s biosecurity. The NBAF plugs that gap, and Kansas is uniquely positioned to accelerate its work with our tremendous research assets, infrastructure, and expertise.”

A national coalition of public- and private-sector NBAF proponents and subject-matter experts, including key agriculture groups and veterinary experts, have urged the federal government to move forward without delay on the state-of-the-art research facility.

The NBAF, which will be built at Kansas State University, will serve as the nation’s premier research center for combating agriculture’s vulnerability to naturally occurring diseases or agro-terrorism.