EAGAN, MN – Yesterday, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02) led fellow Agriculture Committee Democrats on a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins expressing deep concern regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) planned reorganization.
The letter comes after Secretary Rollins announced a dramatic reorganization of the USDA without involving members of Congress or relevant stakeholders in planning discussions.
“The lack of consultation and seeming lack of evaluation and analysis prior to issuing this plan demonstrates a concerning failure to learn the lessons from similar efforts undertaken by USDA during the first Trump administration. As Members of the committee with jurisdiction over USDA, we are deeply concerned that the Department’s proposal will make it less effective and significantly hinder its ability to provide the customer service and support our farmers and rural communities deserve,” wrote the lawmakers.
“To proceed in this manner while ignoring both the actual results from previous similar relocation/reorganization efforts and the multiple findings and recommendations by GAO regarding such earlier efforts demonstrates such a high level of indifference as to show a complete lack of respect for the hard working men and women of the Department and the Americans who depend on its services, particularly our farmers and ranchers,” Agriculture Democrats continued.
The Democratic Members of the House Agriculture Committee who joined Ranki ng Member Craig on the letter are: Representatives Shontel Brown (OH-11), David Scott (GA-13), Jim Costa (CA-21), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Alma Adams (NC-12), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Shri Thanedar (IL-13), Adam Gray (CA-13), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Shomari Figures (AL-02), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), Josh Riley (NY-19), John Mannion (NY-22), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Chellie Pingree (ME-01) and Salud Carbajal (CA-24).
