USDA Extends Reorg Plan Comment Period to Sept. 30

By Ryan Hanrahan

Politico’s Samuel Benson reported that “the Agriculture Department has quietly extended the public comment period for its controversial reorganization plan to Sept. 30, doubling the length of time provided for input on an initiative that has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans since it was unveiled last month.”

“USDA released the plan for public comment on July 24 for a period that was originally set to last 30 days. A department webpage that earlier this week listed the deadline as Aug. 31 now says it is Sept. 30,” Benson reported. “‘The additional days in the comment period are to ensure everyone who wants to submit feedback, can,’ USDA spokesperson Alec Varsamis said in a statement. ‘This aligns with our original intent to hear from our stakeholders.’”

“Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle criticized USDA over its rollout of the plan, which calls for relocating much of its Washington-area workforce to five regional hubs across the country,” Benson reported. “Senate Democrats — led by Agriculture Committee ranking member Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Sen. Adam Schiff of California — sent a letter earlier this week urging Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to extend the comment period to at least 60 days.”

The USDA says that “all stakeholders, including USDA employees, members of Congress, and agricultural and nutrition partners, are encouraged to provide feedback by emailing [email protected].”

What’s in the Reorganization Plan?

Reuters’ Leah Douglas reported in July that “the U.S. Department of Agriculture will relocate much of its Washington, D.C., workforce to five regional hubs and vacate several buildings in the area, including its flagship research center, the agency announced on Thursday.”

“No more than 2,000 USDA employees will remain in the Washington area once the reorganization is complete, the agency said in a statement,” Douglas reported. “The rest, about 2,600 people, will be relocated to hubs in Raleigh, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Indianapolis, Indiana; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Salt Lake City, Utah, the agency said.”

“The agency is not conducting widespread staff reductions, though the relocation plan is part of the USDA’s process of reducing its workforce, the release said,” Douglas reported. “The USDA also said it will vacate several properties in the Washington area, including its flagship research site, the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland, and one of its headquarters buildings on the National Mall.”

Agri-Pulse’s Steve Davies reported in July that USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen “Vaden said the department would be saving about $4 billion from the deferred resignation program and building closures, including the Ag South Building in Washington – $1.9 billion from the DRPs and $2.2 billion in deferred maintenance on the buildings, which also include Braddock Place in suburban Alexandria, Virginia, and the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in suburban Maryland.”

Stakeholders Somewhat Split on Effect of Moving USDA Workers

Bloomberg’s Skye Witley reported that “the Trump administration’s plan to uproot Agriculture Department employees and spread them across the US has the potential to shed legacy staff and impact food safety, welfare programs, and farmers themselves.”

“Congress, unions, and farm interest groups are among those pushing back on USDA’s plan to move more than half its staff from the National Capitol Region — including DC, Maryland, and Virginia — to five hubs across the country, comment letters obtained by Bloomberg Government show,” Witley reported. “Democrats and advocacy groups raised many concerns, but even some Republican lawmakers harbor doubts.”

“The shift likely will push out senior staff with institutional knowledge, slow department work amid major policy changes, and leave fewer people available to tackle inquiries from lawmakers, lobbyists, and federal program participants, the letters warn,” Witley reported.

But “not all agriculture stakeholders showed the same level of concern. A National Cattlemen’s Beef Association spokesperson said the group had no plans to submit feedback, as did Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) and House Agriculture Chair GT Thompson (R-Pa.),” Witley reported. “The powerful American Farm Bureau Federation said the reorganization could bolster local engagement with farmers ‘in some areas,’ but encouraged USDA to keep employees representing every department branch near DC.”

USDA Extends Reorg Plan Comment Period to Sept. 30 was originally published by Farmdoc.