One of the guest speakers at Tuesday's groundbreaking at the University of Kentucky’s Forage-Animal Production Research Unit was a man credited with supporting the project with federal dollars. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was praised by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and UK brass for bringing home nearly 66 million dollars for the livestock and equine-focused facility. McConnell said UK has been an agriculture research leader for more than a century.
“So when I heard the College of Agriculture was exploring a project to modernize its research facility, I was immediately on board and glad to help.”
McConnell introduced the final speaker, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, by saying he was the right choice for Ag secretary for both the Obama and Biden Administrations. Vilsack said the forage-animal production research unit would benefit not just Kentucky, and the U.S., but the entire world.
“When you talk about trying to figure out ways in which livestock can reduce the amount of methane that's produced, you're not just talking about climate, smart agriculture and opportunities for better animal health. You're also talking about the survival of the livestock industry.”
After the ceremony, McConnell told reporters the U.S. would not default on its debts, blamed the Biden Administration for not negotiating sooner with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and said the last ten debt deals had strings attached.
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