A wave of workforce reductions under the Trump-Vance Administration at the U.S. Department of Agriculture has prompted bipartisan action on Capitol Hill, as two Kansas lawmakers seek to prevent rural communities from losing access to essential farm services. Representatives Sharice Davids (D-KS-03) and Derek Schmidt (R-KS-02) introduced the USDA Field Office Stability Act this week, legislation that would prohibit the closure or relocation of key USDA county and field offices and require the department to maintain minimum staffing levels at local service centers.
The bill targets three USDA agencies that form the backbone of rural agricultural support: the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Farm Service Agency (FSA), and Rural Development. While APHIS leads USDA’s biosecurity mission, NRCS, FSA, and Rural Development each play important enabling roles. NRCS creates the physical and environmental conditions — proper waste management, wildlife-livestock separation, and clean water access — that reduce disease exposure on farms in the first place. FSA provides the financial safety nets, through emergency loans, disaster payments, and indemnity programs, that allow producers to cooperate with containment and response measures without facing economic ruin. Rural Development builds the underlying infrastructure — water systems, rural healthcare facilities, and broadband connectivity — that makes agricultural communities resilient enough to respond effectively when disease threats emerge. Together, the three agencies form a supporting architecture that meaningfully reinforces the nation’s overall agricultural biosecurity posture.
Workforce Losses Reach Historic Levels
The urgency behind the legislation stems from dramatic staffing reductions that have accelerated since January 2025. Nationally, more than 24,000 USDA employees have left the department, representing a nearly 27 percent reduction in workforce. Kansas has been among the hardest hit, losing more than 500 USDA employees — approximately 32 percent of its workforce — the largest percentage decline in the region.
The practical consequences of such cuts are significant. As Schmidt noted, many rural USDA offices are already staffed by only one or two people, meaning even a single departure can render an office unable to function. “A reduction in staffing can leave the office unable to function,” Schmidt said. “Our bipartisan bill helps ensure USDA remains accessible to the people it serves and that rural communities are not left behind.”
Donn Teske, President of the Kansas Farmers Union, framed the problem as one with a longer history but sharply worsening trajectory. “County-level USDA staffing shortages have impeded program implementation for multiple administrations,” Teske said, while calling the recent cuts “detrimental to rural America and to the agencies’ ability to fulfill their mission.”
What the Bill Would Do
Under the USDA Field Office Stability Act, the Secretary of Agriculture would be prohibited from closing or relocating NRCS, FSA, and Rural Development county or field offices, with limited exceptions. Offices within 20 miles of another USDA office — so long as that office is not across a state line — could still be consolidated. Routine lease-related relocations within the same county would also be permitted.
Critically, the bill would mandate that USDA maintain minimum staffing levels sufficient to keep service centers open and accessible to the public during standard business hours, providing a floor below which staffing could not legally fall.
Biosecurity Stakes Add Urgency to Agricultural Workforce Concerns
Davids has previously raised concerns about staffing reductions at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas, a federal facility central to the nation’s agricultural biosecurity mission. During a House Agriculture Committee hearing, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins acknowledged the firings were an “imperfect process.”
The timing of these workforce reductions coincides with the emergence of the New World Screwworm, a destructive livestock pest that poses a serious threat to American agriculture if not contained. Davids has warned that weakening the USDA’s field presence undermines the department’s capacity to respond to agricultural emergencies, including disease threats that can rapidly escalate without a functioning network of trained local staff.
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Davids, Schmidt Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Local USDA Field Offices Amid Staff Cuts