Tag: USDA

Agriculture Support Package Announcement Imminent

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by LICA-National

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said an announcement on a support package for farmers is imminent and could land at soon as this week. The Deputy Ag Secretary added that the payment plan would take into account recent changes in commodity markets.

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) warned last week that its analysis of the seven major crops indicate that five are set to see larger average losses this year. AFBF said rising input costs and export uncertainty is exacerbating the economic squeeze on producers and increasing the need for further assistance. Some farm program critics are pushing the administration to learn from the assistance programs implemented in Trump’s first term to improve efficiency and avoid overspending. In a letter to Secretary Rollins the critics said that any aid should be subject to strict payment limits and oversight.

“USDA should take prudent measures to direct aid to where it is needed most and avoid unnecessary spending or waste that could further exacerbate our fiscal outlook,” the groups argue.

CR Reopens Government to January 31 – USDA Funded Through End of FY 2026 – Transportation Funding Awaits Final Approval

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by LICA-National

Congress approved, and President Trump signed, legislation reopening the government by providing continuation of funding for most agencies at current levels through January 31. The action ends the 43-day government shutdown, the longest in history. Also in the package are three separate appropriations bills funding individual agencies, including the Department of Agriculture. These three bills had made some movement in the legislative process although were not finalized prior to the shutdown. Different versions of the USDA bill were reported from the House appropriations committee and approved in the Senate.


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Agriculture Reorganization Plan Gets Pushback

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by LICA-National

Union locals representing USDA employees are calling on the Trump administration to release a cost-benefit analysis behind the department’s reorganization plan. The plan calls for USDA to relocate thousands of staff from Washington, D.C., to five regional hubs: Raleigh, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Fort Collins, and Salt Lake City. State and local USDA offices would also be consolidated into these regional hubs. Agri-Pulse reports that, in a letter to Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins, the unions are seeking the rationale behind choosing the five hubs where employees are being consolidated.


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Senate Ag Committee Examines USDA Reorganization Proposal

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by LICA-National

The Senate Agriculture Committee held a quickly scheduled hearing last week to examine the Trump Administration’s proposal to reorganize the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The plan calls for USDA to relocate thousands of staff from Washington, D.C., to five regional hubs: Raleigh, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Fort Collins, and Salt Lake City. Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden defended the move as a cost-saving measure aimed at bringing USDA employees closer to rural communities and reducing reliance on underused federal buildings. He cited potential savings of up to $4 billion and emphasized that many USDA employees already work remotely. However, senators expressed frustration over the lack of prior consultation with Congress, prompting Committee Chair Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) to call the hearing on short notice.


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Trump Administration Unveils USDA Reorganization Focused on Streamlining and Decentralization- NRCS Impacted

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by LICA-National

On July 24, 2025, Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins announced a sweeping reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as part of the broader Trump “government efficiency” agenda. The plan would relocate over 2,600 of the roughly 4,600 Washington, D.C.–area employees to five new regional hubs—Raleigh, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Fort Collins, and Salt Lake City—while retaining only about 2,000 staff in the capital. USDA will close multiple D.C. buildings, including the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, and consolidate programs like the National Agricultural Statistics Service from 12 offices to five, with the goal of reducing operating costs and lowering salary locality pay rates.


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Secretary Rollins Defends Department Personnel Cuts at Senate Hearing

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by LICA-National

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins defended her record at a wide-ranging House Agriculture Committee hearing this week that touched on trade, personnel reductions at USDA, and cuts to nutrition programs. She repeatedly mentioned her travel abroad and attempts to open foreign markets to U.S. farm goods and said, as she has before, that the previous administration had vastly increased the workforce at USDA, making it necessary to cut back. The department has lost about 15,100 employees through buyouts this year, raising concerns that some vital functions of the department will be hampered. But in response to criticism that the cuts have gone too far, she said, “We are adequately staffed to meet our mission.”


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Senate Looks at NRCS Cutbacks

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by LICA-National

At a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on conservation programs this week, a panel of conservation leaders told senators that cutbacks in staffing as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), would impact producer access to technical assistance necessary to ensure that farmers continue trying out practices that reduce soil erosion and prevent nutrient runoff.


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