"Labor unions and nonprofits moved to halt the Agriculture Department’s reorganization plans Wednesday, arguing USDA officials acknowledged their proposals will lead to mass resignations."
"A coalition of unions and other groups is renewing efforts to halt the Agriculture Department’s reorganization, citing previously undisclosed documents showing that USDA expects nearly a quarter of its employees to quit rather than relocate.
The reduction-in-force plan documents, which were previously confidential, were submitted to a federal judge in California late Wednesday as part of a continuing bid to halt or reverse the Trump administration’s campaign to cut the size of the federal government.
The reorganization was intended to reduce USDA’s workforce “by approximately 23,177 which is a 23% overall reduction,” according to the 2025 internal planning documents. Officials added that they expect that “a significant number of employees will decline geographic reassignments.” Thousands of USDA employees across the country took buyout offers last year, and unions have warned that most employees who declined buyout offers would also decline offers to relocate.
Approximately 2,600 Washington-area positions are set to relocate to a number of “regional hubs” across the country during the reorganization. USDA expects relocated employees to move this summer, Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden said earlier this year."
Hassan Ali Kanu and Grace Yarrow report for E&E News July 2, 2026.
