Letter comes after USDA Secretary Rollins announced a proposal to relocate Dept. employees throughout the country
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, led nine of his Senate colleagues in calling on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins to halt any further restructuring efforts until USDA can explain how the proposal would impact the crucial services the Food and Nutrition (FNS) provides, including its administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The letter was also signed by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Angus King (I-Maine), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
“Contrary to USDA’s stated purpose, consolidating staff away from the regions they work in makes it more difficult and expensive for FNS employees to get out into the field to do their jobs. This proposed reorganization will lead to reduced oversight quality, diminished technical assistance, and weakened relationships with state partners,” wrote the Senators. “Furthermore, impacts of staff cuts and reorganization will hinder FNS’ ability to responsibly oversee the implementation of the damaging changes to SNAP directed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. States will not receive enough support from FNS to efficiently implement SNAP changes, potentially leading to significant issues, including increased costs to states and further limits on program access.”
The Senators continued: “FNS is on the frontlines of our fight against hunger and is responsible for ensuring our kids get school meals, guaranteeing that qualified recipients receive Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and certifying that vendors and grocery stores can accept those benefits. We applaud any plan that allows FNS to more effectively end hunger in the United States. Unfortunately, no information shared by USDA has inspired confidence that this reorganization plan improves employees’ ability to fulfill FNS’ mission.”
In July, Secretary Rollins released a memorandum announcing a proposal to reorganize the Department by relocating USDA staff to five regional hubs across the country. USDA officials have also unveiled a preliminary plan to reduce the number of FNS regional offices from seven to four locations: Fort Collins, Colo., Raleigh, N.C., Dallas, Texas, and Indianapolis, Ind. Closing regional offices and moving staff away from many of the communities FNS serves will endanger the ability of FNS to provide localized services. The Department has not formally solicited feedback from the stakeholders most affected by this proposed FNS reorganization, including state governments, stakeholder partners, direct beneficiaries of FNS programs, and FNS employees and their unions.
Even before Secretary Rollins’ planned reorganization, large-scale reductions in staff at FNS negatively impacted FNS’s ability to complete its mission. Since January 20, 2025, more than 15,000 USDA employees have been forced out of the agency, including approximately 500 FNS staff, most of whom were based outside of Washington, D.C. These staff reductions have led to longer wait times for state agencies needing support, delayed financial audits and management evaluations, and overall deterioration of nutrition programming.
President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill slashes federal funding for states’ SNAP programs and cuts SNAP by nearly 20% through 2034—the largest cut to SNAP in history. About 4 million people, including around 1 million children, would lose all or a substantial amount of the food assistance they need to afford groceries. The bill also deprives millions of people–including those with children aged 14+, older adults aged 55-64, and veterans–by expanding harsh, ineffective, and red-tape-laden work requirements. It also ends food assistance for many people with a lawful immigration status based on humanitarian need.
Read and download the full text of the Senators’ letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins.
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