A House Ag ranking member says that farmers in her home state of Minnesota claim that Farm Service Agency officers are way understaffed.
More than 1,000 FSA staffers reportedly took the government buyout option.
Congresswoman Angie Craig explains what farmers are telling her.
“I had a group in my office yesterday telling me there’s literally half a PTO, half a person, half-time at one of those offices. I think when farmers are coming through my office and telling me they can’t get the work done at their local community level, I think that the cuts have gone through the bone.”
FSA offices play a key role in providing technical help to farmers serving loans.
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins says that she has signed a memorandum to ensure they are fully staffed, including rehiring some officers who were let go.
Congresswoman Craig argues the administration is moving too fast to downsize the government.
“If you’re going to support family farmers, you’ve got to support them with good policy. You’ve got to support them with technical assistance. You need to keep these local offices open, and look, this is what happens when you don’t measure twice and cut once.”
Some 15,000 USDA employees have accepted deferred resignations, all part of the Trump administration’s plan to downsize and reform government agencies.
