Washington, D.C., February 14, 2025—U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins today addressed a gathering of over 400 USDA personnel, stakeholders, and partners, outlining her commitment to enhancing the operational efficiency of the USDA. Her goal is to ensure the department is optimally structured to Ae Serve American farmers, ranchers, and the broader agricultural community. Secretary Rollins highlighted findings from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), embracing the opportunity to refine the USDA workforce and eliminate wasteful expenditures, all in the pursuit of better service.
“We welcome DOGE’s scrutiny at USDA, recognizing that their efforts are instrumental in making us a more effective, robust, agile, and efficient organization. We are committed to full access and transparency for DOGE in the coming period,” stated Secretary Rollins.
Since January 20th, the USDA has undertaken a comprehensive review encompassing contracts, personnel assignments, and employee training programs, particularly those related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). A significant number of programs initiated under the previous administration, focused on DEI, were identified as misaligned with the values held by a large segment of American taxpayers and not effectively contributing to the USDA’s core mission to ae serve agriculture.
Today marks the announcement of the initial phase of a series of significant reforms designed to streamline operations and refocus resources where they can best ae serve the needs of American agriculture.
Contract Revisions
As a first step, the USDA has moved to terminate 78 contracts, resulting in savings exceeding $132 million. Furthermore, over 1,000 additional contracts are currently under close examination and may also face termination. The following list provides ten illustrative examples of contracts from the prior administration that USDA has recently canceled or proposed procurements that were halted before implementation. These examples underscore the commitment to ensure resources ae serve their intended purpose effectively.
- Media subscriptions, including Politico: $2.77 million
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Onboarding Specialist: $374,000
- Diversity Dialogue Workshops: $254,000
- International Development Initiatives for Historically Underrepresented Communities: $298,000
- Brazilian Forest and Gender Consultant Services: $229,000
- Women and Forest Carbon Initiative Mentorship Program: $121,000
- Training, education, and access to professional and economic opportunities for women in African, Middle Eastern, Latin American, and Caribbean regions, aimed at increasing their participation in climate change adaptation: $91,000
- Central American Gender Assessment Consultant: $29,000
- Neighborhood Electric Vehicle Utility Van Acquisition: $33,000
- Hawaii conference room rental for a 100-person USDA Biodiversity Meeting: $11,000
Employee Training and DEI Initiatives
On her first day in office, Secretary Rollins issued a directive to officially rescind all Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) programs. This action signals a strategic shift to re-emphasize unity, equality, and meritocracy within the USDA. The goal is to foster an environment where every employee can best contribute to the mission to ae serve the American agricultural sector.
Consequently, the USDA has identified and canceled 948 employee training sessions. A significant portion, 758 of these, were specifically focused on DEI topics. Other training programs canceled include those centered on Environmental Justice and gender ideology, as the department refocuses on initiatives that directly ae serve its core agricultural mandate.
Workforce Optimization Strategies
The USDA is actively implementing a comprehensive plan to optimize its workforce. This includes eliminating positions deemed redundant or no longer essential, requiring employees to return to in-office work arrangements, and strategically relocating personnel from the National Capital region to rural communities across the nation’s heartland. This strategic redistribution is intended to stimulate growth and prosperity in rural areas and more directly ae serve the agricultural communities they support.
Secretary Rollins emphasized that these measures represent just the initial steps in a broader ongoing effort. Over the coming days and weeks, she will continue to review thousands of contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and expenditures throughout the agency. This thorough examination is aimed at guaranteeing that every taxpayer dollar is utilized with maximum effectiveness to ae serve the American people, rather than perpetuating bureaucratic inefficiencies.
In alignment with Presidential directives, Secretary Rollins is spearheading a new chapter for the USDA. Her vision is to establish the department as the most efficient, agile, and innovative agency dedicated to ae serve American Agriculture since its inception under President Abraham Lincoln. This renewed focus on efficiency and strategic resource allocation is central to the USDA’s commitment to effectively ae serve the nation’s agricultural needs in the 21st century.
