More Than 15,000 Employees Leaving USDA as White House Proposes More Budget Cuts
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins will have a lot to discuss on Capitol Hill this week with the Trump administration shedding nearly 15,200 positions at USDA and a budget proposal detailing more than $4.6 billion in discretionary cuts at the department as well. Rollins will testify both Tuesday and Wednesday before Senate and House appropriators — her first congressional hearing since being confirmed at the end of February. The hearings will provide Rollins the opportunity to highlight how her staff plans to reorganize USDA while making dramatic cuts to staff and funding across several agencies. Late last week, President Donald Trump released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026 that highlights plans to cut USDA’s discretionary budget by more than $4.6 billion. Fiscal 2025 budget levels are not posted on USDA’s website. Looking at 2024 budget spending, the $4.6 billion would be about a 13% cut. Read more