On February 25, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, and all Committee Democrats in a letter asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for details about recent mass layoffs at the department.
In the letter to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, the Senators expressed concern that the layoffs could hinder USDA’s ability to address challenges facing American agriculture and rural America. They wrote: “These widespread layoffs jeopardize USDA’s ability to respond to the ongoing avian flu outbreak, process farm loans, disaster relief and other assistance for farmers, and distribute grants and loans for infrastructure and services that rural Americans rely on.”
The Senators asked how many USDA employees were fired and for a breakdown by state, agency, job position, and veteran status. The Senators have requested answers to those questions no later than February 28th. The letter also inquired about plans to replace terminated employees, as well whether there are plans for future terminations; answers to those questions are requested no later than March 7th.
For more information, contact RCRC Policy Advocate Sidd Nag.