Trump Shakes Up Bloated Agriculture Department, Relocates Bureaucrats Out Of Beltway

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a sweeping reorganization and significant staff reductions on Thursday, citing a bloated workforce and rampant overspending during the Biden administration.

As part of the overhaul, the USDA plans to cut its Washington, D.C.-area workforce by more than 50% and relocate bureaucrats elsewhere in the U.S., the agency announced. Over the past four years, the agency’s staff grew by 8% and salaries rose by 14.5% “without any tangible increase in service to USDA’s core constituencies across the agricultural sector,” according to the USDA.

“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,” said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.

A central aim of the reorganization is to bring the agency closer to those it serves. The USDA’s D.C. headquarters will shrink from roughly 4,600 to 2,000 individuals, with many positions set to be relocated to regional offices across the country.

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