Today, House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02) led fellow Agriculture Committee Democrats on a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins expressing deep concern regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) anticipated Reduction in Force (RIF).

The letter comes after months of chaos and discord at USDA have sowed confusion and uncertainty throughout the farm economy and rural America. 

“Farm country is already facing an economic crisis, with net farm income at a historic low. People across the country rely on the services USDA provides to feed their loved ones and help their family farms survive during tough times,” write the lawmakers. 

“Not only are these the federal employees directly working with farmers on the ground, but these office closures are coming from programs that serve as a lifeline between the federal government and rural communities. We are extremely concerned that by consolidating offices for critical programs, you will be leaving farm families behind and risk not meeting the needs of rural America,” Agriculture Democrats continued.

Read the full letter here.

The Democratic Members of the House Agriculture Committee who joined Ranking Member Craig on the letter are: Representatives Shontel Brown (OH-11), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), John. W. Mannion (NY-22), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Alma S. Adams (NC-12), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), Sharice L. Davids (KS-03), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Andrea Salinas (OR-06) and Jim Costa (CA-16).