USDA Expects Fewer Employees Will Refuse Relocation as Laid-Off Feds Struggle to Find Jobs

‘Half-baked’ USDA relocation irritates members of both parties on Senate Ag panel

U.S. Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Alexander Vaden testifies before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee on July 30, 2025. (Photo via committee livestream)Members of both parties on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee chastised a U.S. Department of Agriculture official Wednesday for not consulting Congress before proposing to shift thousands of jobs out of the Washington, D.C., area. USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Alexander Vaden defend…

USDA expects fewer employees will refuse relocation as laid-off feds struggle to find jobs

The Agriculture Department is planning to move significantly more of its employees out of the D.C. metro area than it did under the first Trump administration — and officials expect this relocation to go smoother than the last one. USDA announced last week that it will relocate more than half of its employees in the national capital region to five hubs across the country: Raleigh, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Indianapolis, Indiana; For…

‘Half-baked’ USDA relocation irritates members of both parties on US Senate Ag panel • Utah News Dispatch

U.S. Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Alexander Vaden testifies before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee on July 30, 2025. (Photo via committee livestream)Members of both parties on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee chastised a U.S. Department of Agriculture official Wednesday for not consulting Congress before proposing to shift thousands of jobs out of the Washington, D.C., area. USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Alexander Vaden defend…

‘Half-baked’ USDA relocation irritates members of both parties on US Senate Ag panel • Michigan Advance

U.S. Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Alexander Vaden testifies before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee on July 30, 2025. (Photo via committee livestream)Members of both parties on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee chastised a U.S. Department of Agriculture official Wednesday for not consulting Congress before proposing to shift thousands of jobs out of the Washington, D.C., area. USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Alexander Vaden defend…

Senate Democrats warn of research and layoff implications of USDA decentralization plan

Senate Democrats slammed the Agriculture Department’s decision to decentralize its operations and relocate employees based in Washington, citing possible downsizing and research implications. On Wednesday, Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden testified before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry…

Lawmakers question USDA's plan to relocate over half of D.C.-based workforce

(The Center Square) – With the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announcing a major reorganization plan, lawmakers met to grill Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden about why Congress wasn’t notified in advance and how the agency will prevent disruptions to its…