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Department of Agriculture's direction. We must provide 

 a process by which resources are devoted in the most 

 efficient manner possible. This entails that we make 

 difficult decisions pertaining to the process by which we 

 allocate funding. 



I am aware of the historical problems associated with 

 appropriating money for agricultural research. Funding 

 for research has been subject to extreme political 

 considerations often insulated from a rational approach. 

 At the same time, we must be careful not to design a 

 process by which valuable institutions are left out in 

 attaining funds at the expense of only the most elite 

 universities. 



As a new Member of Congress, I am very interested 

 in pursuing avenues by which appropriate research 

 institutions receive funding to address the most critical 

 problems facing "Rural America." In my District located 

 in rural Eastern North Carolina, rural economic 



