Kansas Senator Says NBAF Going Forward With Release Of New Funds

Kansas Senator Pat Roberts said in an interview Wednesday that the Department of Homeland Security will announce on Thursday its plans to release funds to get the stalled National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility started. 

The so-called NBAF has had difficulty getting off the ground. Senator Roberts chairs an NBAF steering committee and is the project's guiding light in Congress. The new funding is expected to enable the start of construction on a central electric plant -- a requirement for the billion dollar lab.

$90 million in federal funds are available for the NBAF.

In Olathe for a town hall meeting, Senator Roberts said, "I think we finally convinced the DHS they have an obligation to spend authorized and appropriated funds for a specific purpose."

That purpose, says Roberts,  is the safety of the U.S. food supply.

Some in Congress and at DHS  have raised questions about the security and necessity of the NBAF.