The department reorganization is intended to return the agency to its core mission.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced last week that it is relocating over half its workforce from Washington, D.C., to primarily farm states. In the memorandum signed by Secretary Brooke Rollins, the department explained that the move will allow the agency to pay their moved workers a smaller salary, since federal employees who work in the D.C. area are paid a “locality rate” of nearly 34 percent to adjust for the high cost of living.
Currently, 4,600 USDA employees work in the D.C. area. With this decision, the USDA expects to reduce that number to no more than 2,000 employees. The USDA announcement stated, “Over the last four years, USDA’s workforce grew by 8%, and employees’ salaries increased by 14.5% – including hiring thousands of employees with no sustainable way to pay them.“
Secretary Rollins said, “American agriculture feeds, clothes, and fuels this nation and the world, and it is long past time the Department better serve the great and patriotic farmers, ranchers, and producers we are mandated to support. President Trump was elected to make real change in Washington, and we are doing just that by moving our key services outside the beltway and into great American cities across the country.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretary Rollins as she seeks to improve the service of the USDA to American agricultural producers.
- For wisdom for USDA officials as they relocate and reduce the agency’s staff.
Sources: Roll Call, Department of Agriculture
