Ag bill includes money for Ames facility

The Agricultural Appropriations Bill is expected to go to the floor of the U-S House this afternoon. Iowa Congressman Tom Latham says the legislation contains 40-million dollars for the National Animal Disease Center in Ames.He calls it an essential project for taking care of potential problems with animal disease.Latham says the measure also contains funding for a plan to help farmers who have physical handicaps.Latham also expects passage today of an amendment barring the Army Corps of Engineers from changing the flow of the Missouri River. Under the plan, Latham says the Missouri’s flow would be dramatically increased downstream in the spring and cut to just a trickle during the summertime.Latham says this issue is vital to protect the interests of the river corridor’s economy and maintaining barge traffic, recreational boating traffic and power generation from the dams.