NY’s Senators: Demanding Answers On USDA Employee Firings, Education Department Intentions

NY’s Senators: Demanding Answers On USDA Employee Firings, Education Department Intentions

Editor’s note: The USDA is critical in the efforts to combat bird flu and protect consumers from infection.  Reducing staff at these offices may hamper the ability of the agency to fully participate in its eradication.  Efforts thus far have been ineffective, and as we reported previously, several small live animal markets have been closed due to the presence of the disease in the bird populations at these facilities.  Interestingly, the points raised in this previous article about problems related to large numbers of animals confined in each farming location, can be verified by the current experience of Canadian farmers.  They are not having an issue with bird flu because the size of their farms is much smaller on a per farm basis.  So, whereas in the US, well more than a million birds can be housed together, in Canada, it averages about 25,000.  Consequently, the infection of one flock does not cause the euthanization of nearly as many birds, so the effect on egg prices has been low.  Due to colder temperatures in the northern environment, the barns are sealed more tightly, so the virus does not spread as readily, so this may be helping them as well.  Canadian farms can be smaller because of the tariffs that Canada imposes for imported milk, cheese, and butter.  The goal is to make it so that even a small farmer can make a living, which reduces the need for such large farms as they have in the US. 

Senator Gillibrand has discussed the importance of student loan repayment assistance for borrowers who might otherwise default on their loans or struggle to make payments.  You can also learn more about the ethical, moral, and economic issues related to student loan forgiveness in that same article.  

GILLIBRAND, SCHUMER, MANNION DEMAND ANSWERS ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S POTENTIAL PLANS TO CLOSE SYRACUSE USDA OFFICES, LAYOFFS OF USDA STAFF WHO SERVE NEW YORKERS

Closure Of Offices Could Mean End To Programs That Provide Grants And Loans To Farmers, Help Rural Communities Recover From Natural Disasters

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Representative John Mannion are demanding answers on the Trump administration’s reported plans to potentially close the statewide offices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), and USDA Rural Development (RD) in Syracuse. President Trump and Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” is terminating the lease for the building that houses these three agencies, leaving the future of the programs they administer uncertain. The administration has also laid off a number of workers, leaving New Yorkers unable to reach New York-based staff at the USDA over the phone.

“We are writing to express our concern regarding reports of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) plans to close the statewide offices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), and USDA Rural Development (RD) in Syracuse, New York,” wrote the members. “These USDA agencies provide vital services to agricultural producers, scientists, and rural communities across New York. The planned termination of the lease for the Syracuse office space, as well as the recent staffing cuts in New York, could severely hamper rural New Yorkers’ ability to access crucial federal resources and assistance from the USDA. We urge you to not only keep the USDA’s NRCS, FSA, and RD office space in Syracuse open but to also ensure that the agencies have adequate staffing at their service centers to meet rural New Yorkers’ and farmers’ needs.”

The full text of the representatives’ letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and Acting Administrator of the General Services Administration Stephen Ehikian is available here or below: 

Dear Secretary Rollins and Acting Administrator Ehikian,

We are writing to express our concerns regarding reports of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) plans to close the statewide offices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), and USDA Rural Development (RD) in Syracuse, New York. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has touted $498,273 in savings by terminating the lease through the General Services Administration (GSA) for the 33,548-square-foot space, which houses three critical USDA agencies for New Yorkers. However, this disastrous course of action imperils all three agencies’ ability to assist rural New York communities and our state’s farmers.

It is our understanding that NRCS was the primary lease holder for the Syracuse office space, and by terminating this lease, DOGE has also recklessly harmed the work of FSA and RD throughout New York State. In recent weeks, these agencies have lost staff at the Syracuse offices and statewide to the buyout, layoffs, and paid administrative leave, which wastes taxpayer money and forces valuable employees to sit on the sidelines.

These USDA agencies provide vital services to agricultural producers, scientists, and rural communities across New York. The Farm Service Agency offers financial assistance and loans to farmers and ranchers for conservation needs, post-disaster recovery, and income support. The NRCS manages and provides technical assistance to farmers, ranchers and landowners in New York for key conservation programs that mitigate the impacts of natural disasters, enhance water quality, safeguard wildlife habitats, and reduce soil erosion. USDA RD offers important loans, grants, loan guarantees, and technical assistance to residents, farmers, businesses, non-profits, and municipalities across rural areas in New York. Its programs create jobs, advance economic development, and support essential services, ranging from water, communications infrastructure, health care, and housing. The planned termination of the lease for the Syracuse office space, as well as the recent staffing cuts in New York, could severely hamper rural New Yorkers’ ability to access crucial federal resources and assistance from the USDA.

Apart from the impact that this closure could have on those who are serviced by the Syracuse office, we are also concerned about the employees who work for NRCS, FSA, and RD throughout New York. This closure would affect—and recent terminations have affected—the USDA staff who have remained dedicated to providing New Yorkers with valuable information and high-quality services.

Therefore, we urge you to not only keep the USDA’s NRCS, FSA, and RD office space in Syracuse open but to also ensure that the agencies have adequate staffing at their service centers to meet rural New Yorkers’ and farmers’ needs. We request a written response by March 31, 2025, to address the following questions and concerns:

1. Please share why the proposed closure of the USDA’s Syracuse office space is under consideration.
2. How would the potential closure of the Syracuse offices impact USDA’s capacity to serve New Yorkers?
3. Additionally, how would the closure of the statewide Syracuse offices impact the coordination and collaboration across the USDA and with local service centers?
4. In light of the Trump administration’s return-to-work requirements, where would employees at the Syracuse offices be relocated to? Does the administration have plans to close any of the local service centers across the state?

2. We have received multiple reports that constituents have had difficulty reaching New York-based staff at the USDA over the phone. Please share current USDA staffing arrangements for New York. What plans does the administration have to restore staffing capacity in-state and ensure that New Yorkers continue to have access to the essential resources and programs overseen by FSA, NRCS, and USDA RD?

GILLIBRAND STATEMENT ON TRUMP’S RECKLESS EXECUTIVE ORDER TO ELIMINATE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement on President Trump’s executive order to eliminate the Department of Education:

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“President Trump is playing games with our kids’ futures. By gutting the Department of Education, he will defund critical teacher training programs, forcing schools to operate with fewer teachers, counselors, social workers, and behavior specialists. He will deprive children with disabilities of the specialized education to which they have a right under federal law. And he is killing the dream of a college education for students who can’t afford it without federal assistance.

Make no mistake – individual states simply do not have the funding, personnel, or expertise to provide this same level of support to millions of students. President Trump is prioritizing minimal cost savings from cutting a small federal department at the expense of the literacy and math skills that will allow our kids to secure high-quality, good-paying jobs in the future.

Every child in this country – regardless of background – has the right to a high-quality and free public education. We will not stand idly by while President Trump and Elon Musk destroy the promise of education for all.”

Banner Image: College students. Image Credit – The Jopwell Collection

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand