USDA’s Washington Staff Shakeup Masks Cost-Cutting, Risks to Farmers and National Interests

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced a sweeping reorganization that will transfer approximately 2,600 employees—over half of its Washington, D.C. staff—to regional hubs stretching from North Carolina to Utah. While Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins frames this as a customer-focused improvement aimed at streamlining government operations and controlling costs, the reality is far more concerning.Is This Move Really About Serving America’s Farmers?Secretary Rollins emphasizes bringing employees closer to farmers and ranchers, whom she praises as “great and patriotic,” yet critics see a familiar pattern: another attempt to thin the federal workforce under the guise of efficiency. The union representing...