July 25, 2025
USDA orders 2,600 employees to relocate or resign from Washington
Rollins closes Beltsville research center; 15,364 employees already took deferred resignation
đźšśAgricultuređź‘·Labor
USDA relocating 2,600 of 4,600 National Capital Region employees to five regional hubs (Raleigh NC, Kansas City MO, Indianapolis IN, Fort Collins CO, Salt Lake City UT)
Announced Jul. 24, 2025 by Agriculture Secretary 
Brooke Rollins; relocations are mandatory reassignments, refusal results in termination
Plan closes USDA South Building (with $1.3 billion deferred maintenance), Braddock Place, and Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (500 employees)
15,364 USDA employees already took deferred resignation offers; reorganization expects to keep only 2,000 employees in Washington DC area
AFGE National President 
Everett Kelley warns relocations will disrupt food safety inspections, agricultural research, and forest management
Congressional Democrats led by Rep. 
Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10) demand cost-benefit analysis and employee consultation by Aug. 21, 2025
Historical precedent: 2019 Trump administration relocations of BLM, Economic Research Service, and National Institute of Food and Agriculture resulted in 75% staff loss
USDA legally requires congressional approval for major reorganizations but proceeded without formal authorization
Beltsville closure ends decades of research on honeybee decline, human nutrition, CRISPR gene-editing, and livestock pathogens
Forest Service eliminating 9 regional offices; Agricultural Research Service eliminating area offices
đźšśAgricultuređź‘·Labor
Test Your Knowledge
10
Q1
How many USDA employees in the Washington DC area will be forced to relocate under Brooke Rollins' plan?
Q2
Which five cities will serve as USDA's new regional hub locations?
Q3
How many USDA employees voluntarily left the agency through early retirement offers?
Q4
USDA estimates it will cost $150,000 per employee to relocate workers to the new regional hubs.
Q5
Which Senate Agriculture Committee members are demanding hearings on USDA's reorganization plan?
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Start QuizPeople, bills, and sources
Brooke Rollins
Agriculture Secretary
Everett Kelley
AFGE National President
Suhas Subramanyam
U.S. Representative (D-VA10)
Robert Garcia
Oversight Committee Ranking Member
Kweisi Mfume
Government Operations Subcommittee Ranking Member