Washington D.C. — U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ranking Member on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and all Committee Democrats in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) demanding answers and clarity following the Trump Administration’s funding freeze.
The Senators wrote to USDA Acting Secretary Gary Washington: “Over the past week, farmers, ranchers, schools, and state governments have contacted our offices in search of clarity on programs, websites, offices, and activities impacted by these orders. Conflicting information from the administration has added to the uncertainty, costing those who depend on the Department time and money. The farmers, rural families, and businesses that depend on the Department need certainty to plan ahead for this growing season.”
The Senators requested “a description of the actions the Department has taken broken down by program, office, and activity, including listing any activities with paused or terminated disbursements or obligations, as well as the legal basis for pausing or terminating any funding that has been appropriated by Congress.”
They were joined by Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).
The full letter is available here and below:
Dear Acting Secretary Washington,
We write to seek clarity and raise concerns regarding the impact of recent Executive Orders and Presidential Memoranda on the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Over the past week, farmers, ranchers, schools, and state governments have contacted our offices in search of clarity on programs, websites, offices, and activities impacted by these orders. Conflicting information from the administration has added to the uncertainty, costing those who depend on the Department time and money. The farmers, rural families, and businesses that depend on the Department need certainty to plan ahead for this growing season.
Has the Department paused or terminated any payments, or taken any other actions to carry out any Executive Orders or Presidential Memoranda issued on or after January 20, 2025? If so, please provide a description of the actions the Department has taken broken down by program, office, and activity, including listing any activities with paused or terminated disbursements or obligations, as well as the legal basis for pausing or terminating any funding that has been appropriated by Congress.
In addition, please provide a timeline of when recipients of paused or terminated disbursements can expect to hear from the Department about the status of their funding.
Please respond to this letter by Close of Business on Friday, February 7. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.
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