Intensified congressional opposition arises against USDA's relocation plan
USDA Reorganization Faces Scrutiny from House Democrats
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is under scrutiny as House Democrats demand transparency and detailed planning documents regarding its ongoing reorganization and employee relocation efforts. The concerns center around potential disruptions to the agency's workforce and the risk of losing critical expertise.
Since early 2025, the USDA has reduced its workforce by over 20,000 employees, about 20%, amid the reorganization. This significant reduction has intensified workforce pressures and heightened uncertainty among employees about potential forced relocations. Staff have reported minimal communication from agency leadership about what these changes mean for their jobs or workload, resulting in employees working extra to cover the gaps while awaiting details on relocation plans.
Lawmakers from the House Agriculture and Oversight Committees have formally demanded detailed information from USDA, including analyses preceding the reorganization plan, timelines, costs, and the effects on staffing and expertise. This call for clarity follows limited information provided by USDA leadership and expresses worry that without proper analysis and communication, the agency could lose critical personnel and resources needed to serve agricultural and rural communities effectively.
Democratic lawmakers have urged USDA to turn over all documents and communications related to the relocation plans and have given a deadline of Aug. 21 for the agency to explain its preparation for the relocation and detail any cost-benefit analysis that occurred prior to announcing its plans. They argue that USDA's relocation would mirror what happened on a smaller scale in 2019 during Trump's first term, citing staff attrition, loss of institutional knowledge, and worsened productivity at USDA's Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture after their relocation to Kansas City, Missouri.
USDA announced last month that it would relocate more than half of its employees in the national capital region to five hubs across the country: Raleigh, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Indianapolis, Indiana; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Salt Lake City, Utah. No more than 2,000 employees of the 4,600 currently working in the national capital region will remain in D.C. after the USDA relocations.
The Democrats have reintroduced the COST of Relocations Act to require agencies to conduct and publish a detailed cost-benefit analysis before permanently relocating any offices. The act aims to ensure that any attempt to move federal agencies is appropriately analyzed, assessing real estate and staffing costs, as well as estimates of employee attrition and anticipated impacts on agency mission.
USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Alexander Vaden stated during a July 30 hearing that the prohibitive cost of living in the D.C. area makes it hard to keep employees, and that the reorganization plan will allow USDA to recruit the next generation of its workforce. However, the Democrats' concerns center around the potential upheaval in the agency's workforce and the failure to deliver on the agency's mission due to absent proper planning.
The White House directed agencies to conduct reorganization and reduction-in-force plans this year, including proposed relocations of agency bureaus and offices from Washington, D.C., and the national capital region to less-costly parts of the country. During his reelection campaign, President Donald Trump vowed to move up to 100,000 federal employees out of D.C. and relocate them to other parts of the country.
The Trump administration's rescinding of two executive orders that encouraged agencies to prioritize urban areas and historic properties in decisions on federal buildings could also impact the USDA's relocation plans. The USDA's major relocation effort is currently facing significant scrutiny and concern, primarily from House Democrats who have criticized the agency for a lack of transparency regarding its planning documents and the potential detrimental impact on its workforce.
In summary, the USDA's ongoing reorganization and employee relocation efforts are facing intense scrutiny from House Democrats, who are demanding transparency and detailed planning documents. The concerns focus on potential disruptions to the agency's workforce and the risk of losing critical expertise. Lawmakers have requested USDA's response on these matters by the following week from mid-August 2025.
- The USDA's policy-and-legislation concerning workforce reimagination, particularly the federal workforce reduction and relocation plans, has generated significant political debate.
- Federal workforce disruptions and potential loss of expertise within the USDA are at the heart of the general-news headlines, as House Democrats press for transparency and comprehensive planning documents to be released.
