In a significant move announced in late July, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins distributed a memorandum outlining the Trump administration’s ambitious plan to “reorganize” the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). While concrete details remain limited, the reorganization strategy proposes the removal of the majority of USDA employees based in Washington, D.C. and its surrounding areas to locations that have yet to be revealed. This plan also includes vacating a prominent USDA building in D.C. and a research facility in Maryland, which many speculate might be a precursor to the administration’s initiative to sell these properties. Such actions threaten to exacerbate disruptions in services that farmers and consumers have come to rely on and simultaneously compromise the agency’s scientific capabilities.
To further elaborate on this controversial initiative, Rollins has appointed her deputy, Stephen Vaden, who has a questionable track record, having overseen a damaging, discriminatory, and potentially illegal relocation of USDA research personnel during the first Trump administration in 2019 when he served as General Counsel. The USDA cannot afford to repeat such harmful outcomes.
Already in her brief tenure of just over six months, Rollins has inflicted significant damage. After delivering a speech extolling the virtues of public service on her initial day at USDA, she contradicted those sentiments by canceling essential grants, stifling scientific progress, and enabling Elon Musk’s initiative at the Department of Government Efficiency to eliminate over 16,000 employees from the USDA. A recent budget request from the White House could result in billions of dollars in cuts to the USDA if approved by Congress, further eroding the agency’s capacity to support farmers, safeguard the food supply, and ensure access to food for all Americans.
With this reorganization plan, Rollins appears dedicated to completing the dismantling of the department she is meant to lead.
This event is part of a broader pattern within the Trump administration, where various valuable government functions are being indiscriminately cut. The administration has been treating highly skilled federal employees as mere “waste” that can be discarded. At the Union of Concerned Scientists, we have documented how the firing of scientists and the dismantling of scientific capabilities is putting us all at risk at esteemed agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Unfortunately, it now seems the USDA has also become a target of these destructive policies.
In response to various stakeholders, including members of Congress from both parties, expressing shock and concern regarding Rollins’ reorganization memo, she proposed to accept public comments on the initiative until late August. This outreach seemed more like an afterthought, lacking adherence to the usual notice and comment rules stipulated by the Administrative Procedure Act. Senators have continually expressed their discontent with the rapid and opaque nature of this process, demanding greater review time and transparency. The USDA quietly extended the comment period to September 30; however, feedback from stakeholders—likely including many major agricultural corporations and lobbying organizations—remains excluded from public view.
While the USDA’s call for feedback may seem like a positive step, it largely comes across as symbolic. The following comments were submitted and are shared here to document our concerns.
August 26, 2025
The Honorable Stephen Vaden
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
Dear Deputy Secretary Vaden:
On behalf of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and its over 600,000 supporters nationwide, I am writing to address the USDA reorganization initiative outlined by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins in Secretary Memorandum: SM 1078-015 dated July 24, 2025.
We strongly urge the USDA to:
- Withdraw SM 1078-015 and halt further staff relocations or reductions in force.
- Involve stakeholders openly, including Congress, agricultural professionals, and USDA personnel, in future discussions regarding reorganization.
- Focus on mission-critical functions—such as scientific research, technical support, and inspections—rather than superficial budget cuts.
The expertise of farmers, rural communities, and consumers relies heavily on the USDA. Displacing experienced scientists and skilled personnel diminishes the department’s effectiveness, undermines its core mission, and ultimately shortchanges U.S. taxpayers. We urge you to reconsider before any more damage occurs.
UCS is a national science-based nonprofit organization committed to fostering a healthy environment and a safer world. We marry independent scientific assessment with citizen advocacy to devise innovative, practical approaches to engender responsible shifts in government protocols, corporate conduct, and consumer practices.
We hold the USDA’s mission to assist farmers, ensure food safety, and provide adequate nutrition for all Americans in high regard. However, we are deeply perturbed by the high likelihood that this reorganization will undermine that objective through the expulsion of vital scientists and committed public employees.
Prior forced relocations of USDA staff have already caused considerable damage to the agency’s mission and capabilities
In her confirmation hearing, Secretary Rollins stated to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry that “all Americans are important.” She emphasized the significance of farmers, claiming that “[t]hey are the Americans who matter to everyone.” Yet the current reorganization plan starkly contradicts these proclamations.
Public service necessitates dedicated public servants. However, by mid-April, up to 16,000 of these individuals—more than one-sixth of the USDA workforce—had reportedly departed. Many faced illegal terminations, while others were ordered to return under court mandates, only to face potential firings again. Countless others begrudgingly resigned through programs designed to encourage deferred resignations (DRPs). Given such mass departures, it appears that the forced relocations at the heart of this reorganization are aimed at driving even more public servants from the department.
The evidence of this strategy has been apparent from your tenure as General Counsel at the USDA during the first Trump administration. In 2019, you and then Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue orchestrated an abrupt relocation of scientists and staff from the USDA’s two principal scientific agencies—the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)—from their Washington, D.C. headquarters to Kansas City, Missouri. This move led to chaos, as documented by reports from both the USDA’s inspector general and other inquiries from the Government Accountability Office (here and here). The relocation was found to violate legal standards, based on flawed data and ultimately incapacitated these scientific units, resulting in 75% of their employees choosing to leave rather than relocate. This situation caused numerous experienced scientists to exit their positions, costing taxpayers and farmers millions without delivering substantial benefits.
This prior relocation didn’t consider the needs of USDA science, farmers, or taxpayers; instead, it wasted taxpayers’ money and hindered critical studies and grants. It represented a regression for science and a disservice to the farmers, rural communities, and consumers that USDA aims to serve. The current reorganization plan that Secretary Rollins has assigned you to oversee appears to replicate this previous grievous mistake.
Reducing USDA’s workforce again has detrimental effects for farmers and all Americans
Secretary Rollins asserted to the Wall Street Journal in April that the proposed job cuts would not hinder USDA services—such as the economic reporting and forecasting that farmers depend on. But is that genuinely credible? Empty seats do not analyze data, nor do they:
- Enable farmers to make climate-smart planting decisions—The USDA’s Climate Hubs deliver crucial regionalized research and technical support for farmers facing the brunt of climate impacts. With the president’s budget proposal suggesting a complete cut in funding for these centers, further workforce reductions would severely undermine farmers’ capabilities in adapting to climate challenges and maintaining future yields.
- Prevent invasive crop pests from infiltrating U.S. farms—By mid-April, it was reported that close to 700 employees from the USDA’s Plant Protection and Quarantine division had departed. These skilled scientists and administrators played a critical role in inspecting agricultural imports to curb foreign pests and managing the impact of pests already present.
- Control and mitigate avian flu outbreaks—The layoff of crucial scientists, inspectors, and support staff earlier this year proved detrimental to Secretary Rollins’ strategy to combat avian influenza, as numerous departed employees were integral to her action plan and required rehiring. The USDA continues to spearhead efforts against the avian flu strain that emerged in the U.S. in 2022, and any further upheavals in staffing could undermine their effectiveness.
- Ensure food safety through inspections—By early May, 555 employees at the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service had accepted resignation offers. These highly trained professionals were tasked with safeguarding the safety of meat, poultry, and egg products through inspections.
These systematic cuts reflect self-sabotage, much like the administration’s reckless reductions in public health and research funding. Secretary Rollins seemed to recognize this peril, albeit belatedly, by sending urgent emails in April to employees who had considered or accepted early resignation incentives, urging them to reconsider.
While the current reorganization memorandum sends a contradictory message, it indicates an apparent disregard for the importance of maintaining critical personnel.
Conclusion
U.S. farmers and consumers face mounting challenges as a result of unpredictable international trade, increased costs for agricultural inputs, an immigration crisis, and a climate crisis that the administration appears unwilling to acknowledge. Our previous observations suggest that numerous USDA scientists and personnel have been driven away from their roles in aiding farmers and the public in navigating these pressing issues.
The USDA cannot sustain additional losses of skilled public servants. Further departures will critically weaken the agency’s ability to deliver essential programs and support to farmers and rural populations who need assistance, particularly at a time when their resilience is already being tested. We implore the USDA to reevaluate its course of action.
Sincerely,
Karen Perry Stillerman
Deputy Director, Food and Environment Program
Union of Concerned Scientists
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