John O’Connell reports potato industry officials plan to lobby Congress against nearly $3 million in cuts to potato pest and disease research and variety development included in President Barack Obama’s $3.8 trillion federal budget proposal.

Republican leaders declared Obama’s budget dead on arrival, arguing it lacked support even from many Democrats. Nonetheless, John Keeling, executive vice president and CEO of the National Potato Council, considers the issue a priority.

“It does send a signal to Congress, and there will be certain people in Congress who will want to go that direction,” Keeling said. “You’d rather have what you want in the budget, but it’s not the end of the road.”

Keeling said it was unusual for the president to include such specific budgeting language about the potato programs.