Booker, Klobuchar, Welch Demand Answers on USDA Plan That Threatens Critical Rural Infrastructure and Services

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, joined Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Senator Peter Welch (D-VT), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, along with 19 other Senate colleagues, in issuing a forceful warning in a new letter to Deputy Secretary Vaden about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed reorganization of the Rural Development mission area. The senators make clear that the plan raises serious, immediate concerns about the Department’s direction and the potential consequences for rural communities nationwide. “Rural communities, small businesses, and families will lose access to important services if the proposed reorganization plan moves forward,” wrote the senators. The senators stress that the proposed restructuring is not a routine administrative shift—it is a direct threat to the essential services rural America depends on. Rural Development administers grants and loans for small businesses, supports rural housing, finances health clinics and childcare centers, and drives major infrastructure projects for water, electric, and broadband systems. These programs are lifelines for communities already facing rising costs for gas, groceries, and agricultural inputs due to tariffs and Trump’s reckless policies. “In order for rural communities to benefit from these projects, the Rural Development agency must have the capacity to process applications and disburse funds,” the senators continued. “Rural Development’s depletion of staff has already left rural America without the support it needs as the prices of gas, groceries, and agricultural inputs are skyrocketing as a result of tariffs and foreign conflicts. Without adequate and expert staff, the money that Congress has appropriated to help rural communities will not reach its intended beneficiaries.” In addition to Booker, Klobuchar, and Welch, the letter was signed by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angus King (I-ME), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tina Smith (D-MN), John Fetterman (D-PA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). To prevent further harm, the senators requested detailed answers from USDA by August 5, 2026, including: An analysis of how staffing cuts will affect Rural Development services A current breakdown of staffing levels and two-year projections by sub-mission area Hiring plans for the next three months Training plans to ensure new staff can effectively serve rural communities A strategy to recruit the next generation of Rural Development employees Safeguards to prevent further failures in Rural Development’s technology modernization The full letter is available here .