WASHINGTON — Multiple media reports say the U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to close one of its headquarters buildings in Washington D.C. and lay off potentially thousands of workers in the coming weeks.
GovExec.com, a business news daily catering to senior government leaders, reported Thursday that up to 9,000 of its 98,000 employees could be let go soon at the USDA, which employs about 98,000, but others have been told there is an “overall federal workforce reduction number” the administration has developed.
The news isn’t exactly a surprise to those who follow the agency, as USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins has previously said the massive agency would undergo some restructuring to reduce management layers and refocus efforts on serving farmers, ranchers, foresters and consumers. Rollins reiterated this during her conversation with ag media last month at the Commodity Classic in Denver.
In a new statement issued Thursday to Fox5 in Washington D.C., the USDA acknowledged Rollins was pursuing workforce reduction plans and the agency was “being transparent” about it to, “return the department to a customer service-focused, farmer-first agency.
“We have a solemn responsibility to be good stewards of Americans' hard-earned taxpayer dollars and to ensure that every dollar is being spent as effectively as possible to serve the people,” the USDA added.
USDA reportedly plans to relocate some staff to new “hub” offices around the country, GovExec reported, although the locations haven’t been revealed. The USDA has said employees would no longer be allowed to work remotely and those living more than 50 miles from a hub will have to relocate.
Depending on how deferred resignation offers pan out, GovExec says 23% of the NRCS’ 11,000 employees could be let go.
The idea of moving USDA offices closer to farm country isn’t a new one, as some have argued this would help employees focus more closely on the needs of their customers.
In January, Farm.com reported that Iowa Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson introduced the Strategic Withdrawal of Agencies for Meaningful Placement (SWAMP) Act, which proposes moving non-national security related agency headquarters out of Washington, D.C. and “into communities that best reflect those agencies.” Sen. Joni Ernst introduced similar legislation in the Senate.
"I would question how many of these bureaucrats in D.C., for example, have ever stepped foot on an Iowa farm or a farm in general," Hinson told the Des Moines Register. "I think that's really important as they're making these decisions on grant opportunities or on rules and regulations that they actually have a front-row seat to that and that's something that I think has been missing from the federal government for far too long."
“There's no valid reason why the Department of Agriculture should operate from D.C. when it could be situated in an agricultural state like Iowa,” said Rep. Jared Golden of Main in a statement in January. “The American people simply want to drain the swamp, and this bipartisan bill will finally hold government accountable, save taxpayer dollars, and uphold the principles of public service.”
In 2019, the USDA’s Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture were relocated to Kansas City, Mo., despite objections from employees and some lawmakers. GovExec reported that President Biden allowed both agencies to move their headquarters back to Washington while still keeping their Kansas City offices.
