News from the South - Georgia News Feed
‘We have to move’: USDA soon to disclose which staff jobs will leave D.C.
by Jennifer Shutt, Georgia Recorder
May 6, 2025
WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced during a congressional hearing Tuesday the department will soon detail which staff positions it plans to move away from the nation’s capital and where in the country those jobs will be relocated.
“We have to move,” Rollins said. “This is a customer service oriented agency. And why do we have so many people in Washington, D.C.? And then you bring the forest part into that and then the nutrition into that and it just doesn’t make as much sense.”
Rollins’ comments about restructuring the 100,000-employee department came in the middle of a Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s budget request for the upcoming fiscal year.
Republicans and Democrats on the panel used the opportunity to question Rollins about USDA freezing billions in funding approved by Congress, some of which has yet to be released.
Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, chairwoman of the full Appropriations Committee, said she’s heard from several “constituents who have received grant award letters from USDA in the previous administration, only to receive letters from USDA informing them that their grant funding is frozen.”
Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., urged Rollins to “ensure that funding goes to the small farms” and that it be released quickly.
Rollins testified USDA originally froze about $20 billion in federal funds and is still reviewing $5 billion to decide if the department should spend the money as planned.
“Some of the funding that we have pulled back and then reopened, we’ve asked for re-applications to realign around this president’s priorities, which, of course, not surprisingly, is not diversity, equity and inclusion, or some climate programs. But instead to reapply where the farmer or rancher would receive 65% of the funding or more,” she said.
“That’s another piece of this as well,” Rollins added. “So we again, are going line by line. We’re working around the clock. And believe me, we are on it.”
Local food programs funding
Several Democratic senators on the panel — including Wisconsin’s Tammy Baldwin, New Mexico’s Martin Heinrich and Georgia’s Jon Ossoff — pressed Rollins to restore funding for the local food purchasing assistance and local food for schools programs.
“They may be COVID programs, but they’re two of the best examples of using American-grown produce to produce healthier outcomes in our students. To me, that is Making America Healthy Again,” Heinrich said, referencing an often-used Trump administration slogan. “You canceled both of those contracts, even though those contracts were signed and farmers had bought supplies for planting based on those contracts. So what would you say to both the producers and the schools who made financial decisions based on those commitments?”
Rollins said the two programs were “never meant to last forever” and that nearly every state has asked USDA for contract extensions, since they haven’t been able to spend all of the money the federal government sent them.
“Do you know USDA spends $400 million a day on nutrition and food programs? Just USDA. That’s aside from this food bank,” Rollins said. “There is plenty of money in the system. We just have to be better about how we’re spending it. So I hear you, but I think that it’s important to look at where this money is sitting, how it is being spent, and making sure that we’re using the taxpayer dollars effectively.”
The Trump administration’s budget request, released Friday, asks Congress to cut Agriculture Department discretionary funding by $5 billion, or 18.3%.
The proposal suggests lawmakers bolster funding for the Food Safety Inspection Service by $15 billion and for rental assistance grants by $74 billion, though it requests funding cuts on about a dozen programs.
The Agricultural Research Service, rural development programs, Farm Service Agency and National Forest System Management would all see funding cuts if Congress goes along with the budget request.
Rollins said during the hearing the proposed Agricultural Research Service funding cuts, if approved by lawmakers, would decrease that account from $2.1 billion to $1.9 billion.
“So while it is a cut, it’s not a massive cut, it’s a 7% cut. And it’s very much focused on outdated facilities,” Rollins said. “So as we continue the high priority and the focus on the important research, I believe that none of that will be compromised.”
Coming home to Kansas
Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran asked Rollins about proposed funding cuts to the Farm Service Agency and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, saying the programs are important to his home state.
“It was particularly troublesome when those on probation were eliminated,” Moran said, referring to mass firings of new and newly promoted federal workers. “We love the circumstance when a young man or woman out of college returns home, goes to work for USDA in a county office. We do not have sufficient personnel in those county offices today. But we particularly love when they are somebody who’s in their 20s, they come home and they raise a family in a small county of Kansas.”
Rollins responded that FSA is of “paramount importance.”
Congress will debate the dozen annual appropriations bills, including the Agriculture spending measure, in the months ahead.
Lawmakers are supposed to negotiate agreement on all of the government funding bills before the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1. But they will likely use a stopgap spending bill to give themselves until mid-December to work out bipartisan, bicameral agreements.
Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor John McCosh for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com.
The post ‘We have to move’: USDA soon to disclose which staff jobs will leave D.C. appeared first on georgiarecorder.com
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
This article presents USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins’ testimony on budget and staffing changes with a focus on restructuring and proposed funding cuts, which align with typical conservative priorities favoring government efficiency and fiscal conservatism. It highlights Republican concerns about federal spending and the emphasis on directing funds mostly to farmers and ranchers, while also acknowledging Democratic questions and priorities around program funding and equity. The language remains largely neutral and fact-based, but the emphasis on budget cuts and reallocation consistent with the Trump administration’s priorities suggests a center-right leaning.
News from the South - Georgia News Feed
Schools navigate challenges in federal clean bus program | FOX 5 News
SUMMARY: The Biden administration’s $5 billion Clean School Bus Rebate Program, launched in 2022 to transition school districts to zero-emission electric buses, faces significant challenges. Mechanical issues and lack of affordable repairs have sidelined hundreds of electric buses, worsened by the financial collapse of major supplier Lion Electric. Lion’s bankruptcy led to maintenance warranty voids, leaving districts like Yarmouth, Maine, and Illinois struggling with non-functional buses. The EPA is monitoring the situation and supporting affected districts. However, other districts, such as Little Rock, Arkansas, using different vendors like Blue Bird, continue to benefit from the clean bus initiative, viewing it as an investment in student health and safety.
The Biden administration launched a program to help schools transition to cleaner buses. While some districts have reported success, others are experiencing difficulties tied to certain suppliers. Federal officials say they are continuing to monitor the situation as schools adjust.
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News from the South - Georgia News Feed
Labor Day crowds hit Tybee as beach safety warnings rise
SUMMARY: Over Labor Day weekend on Tybee Island, Georgia, strong winds and waves created hazardous water conditions, prompting lifeguards to warn swimmers about dangerous rip currents. White-capped waves and rough surf led to a red flag warning, with officials considering a double red flag to restrict swimming to knee-deep water for safety. Rip currents cause over 80% of US beach rescues, especially during busy holidays. Lifeguard supervisor Jackson Vrisco emphasized alertness and monitoring conditions, while Mayor Brian West advised those caught in rip currents to stay calm and let the current carry them before swimming back. Visitors should heed flag warnings near lifeguard towers.
The post Labor Day crowds hit Tybee as beach safety warnings rise appeared first on www.wsav.com
News from the South - Georgia News Feed
16-year-old shot, killed returning home
SUMMARY: A 16-year-old boy was shot and killed early this morning on Mulberry Road in Southeast Atlanta after being mistaken for an intruder in his own home. A man living in the house, who is in some personal relationship with the boy’s mother, believed the teen was breaking in and opened fire. The gunman fled the scene and has not yet been located. Police are investigating the incident, trying to determine the exact relationship and whether charges will be filed. Family members are devastated by the tragedy, and authorities continue their search for the shooter.
Police say a 16-year-old was shot and killed around 3:30 a.m. today after a male inside of this home (relationship unclear) opened fire on the person he thought was an intruder. Deveoping story.
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