BROWNFIELD AG NEWS: Frustration mounts as USDA declines shutdown briefing, says Rep. Craig

The Ranking Member of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee is frustrated with the USDA for a lack of transparency during the government shutdown.

Angie Craig of Minnesota tells Brownfield Democrats in the House and Senate requested a bipartisan meeting with the department earlier this month.

“The USDA declined to provide us a briefing on what they are doing during the shutdown, so I am not too happy with USDA right now. Especially as we face the year of frozen programs and contracts being cancelled and mass layoffs and disruptions to Farm Service Agency offices all across the country.”

She suggests the actions of USDA are contradictory.

“USDA keeps saying out loud ‘we love our family farmers’ but we need farmers who have an FSA office that is actually up and running, and those offices right now are closed.”

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins says USDA is working with about half the number of employees it had before the shutdown.