Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Tuesday the department will unveil its reorganization plan next week and it won’t be as “drastic” as many have feared.
Speaking to members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, Rollins confirmed that about 15,000 USDA employees had taken buyouts since President Donald Trump took office but said the department normally loses about 8,000 to 10,000 annually through normal attrition.
"So, while 15,000, you know, is blasting across a lot of headlines right now, at the end of the day through the [Deferred Resignation Program], hopefully the goal is that it isn't too much of a difference,” she said.
The department started with about 106,000 employees, she said.
She also reiterated that the reorganization plan would likely shrink the department’s footprint in the nation’s capital but didn’t say by how much.
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“We are right-sizing. We are, quote, 'downsizing.' But I don't think it is as drastic, perhaps, as a lot of people are looking at it,” she said.
She stressed that the department was preserving Farm Service Agency field staff and Forest Service wildland firefighters.“We've not accepted the recent DRPs from either one of those groups and have signed a memorandum that no funding freeze or spending freeze or hiring freeze will apply to any of those front-liners or our firefighters,” Rollins said, referring to the buyout process, called the deferred resignation program, or DRP. “So, I feel very confident in the plan.”"We have put a huge effort on ensuring that those remain fully staffed, and in fact become better staff," she said.
Later in an appearance before the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, Rollins said it is not in USDA's plan to close any of the 4,500 FSA field offices. She said FSA is trying to be more effective with online assistance so that in the future farmers and ranchers won’t need to rely on the office staff as much.
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