Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, is leading all committee Democrats in demanding transparency from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding its recent widespread layoffs. The Senators have requested detailed data on the number of terminated employees, broken down by state, agency, job position, and veteran status—information the administration has yet to disclose.
In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, the Senators expressed deep concerns that these layoffs could cripple essential USDA operations, including the response to the ongoing avian flu outbreak, farm loan processing, disaster relief efforts, and rural infrastructure funding.
“These widespread layoffs jeopardize USDA’s ability to support farmers and rural communities,” the Senators wrote. “Terminating thousands of nonpartisan USDA employees and contracts in less than a month threatens the Department’s ability to address critical agricultural and economic challenges.”
The request for transparency underscores broader concerns about how these cuts will impact American agriculture, particularly as farmers and rural businesses navigate ongoing economic and environmental pressures.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.