ultimateimp – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is urgently working to recruit new personnel after more than 15,000 employees accepted a buyout deal under the federal deferred resignation program. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins confirmed during two days of testimony before Congress that the agency is actively filling critical positions. Especially those essential to frontline operations and nationwide agricultural services. Rollins stated on Tuesday that the USDA is “looking and recruiting to fill those positions that are integral to the efforts and the key frontlines.” Underscoring the urgency to restore the department’s operational capacity.
The mass departure resulted from two rounds of voluntary resignation offers. The first was made in late January to nearly the entire federal workforce. The second ones, shorter round followed in April. Both rounds were part of the Trump administration’s broader push to shrink the federal workforce. Offering financial incentives to employees who agreed to resign by September while still receiving salaries and benefits. Now, the USDA faces the challenge of maintaining services and supporting rural communities with a leaner staff.
USDA Faces Scrutiny for Rehiring Efforts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to begin rehiring shortly after offering buyouts has drawn criticism from lawmakers. During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Senator Patty Murray questioned Secretary Brooke Rollins on the logic of replacing skilled workers the department had just paid to leave. “So you let people go and you’re looking for new people to fill the positions that they had experience in?” Murray asked. Rollins responded that discussions are ongoing but defended the department’s actions by noting that the 15,000 departures account for less than 15% of the USDA’s workforce. She added that the agency normally sees 8,000 to 10,000 employees leave each year through attrition.
Rollins also expressed openness to re-employing individuals who accepted the buyout. “If they want to come back, and if they were in a key position, then we would love to have that conversation,” she said. However, critics argue the rehiring signals poor planning and creates confusion within a workforce already under strain.
Employees Feel Misled as Vacated Roles Are Reposted Immediately
Some USDA employees who took the deferred resignation offer have expressed frustration after seeing their former positions reopened almost immediately. One former staffer from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said they felt forced to resign due to repeated warnings of looming layoffs. They saw their role reposted just one day after they left, which left them shocked and frustrated. USDA human resources circulated an internal email listing 73 open positions, many of which employees had just vacated through the buyout program.
The employee, who chose to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation while still on paid administrative leave. They called the move disheartening and said it made them feel disposable. The situation has sparked broader concerns about communication, transparency, and workforce management within the USDA as it navigates restructuring.
Rollins Admits Missteps in USDA Workforce Reduction But Defends Strategy
During Tuesday’s Senate hearing, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins acknowledged that the USDA may have made mistakes while implementing the deferred resignation program but maintained that the agency’s intentions were clear and focused. She admitted that no process of this scale would be flawless, especially when attempting to restructure an entire federal agency. “We are very intentionally approaching this,” Rollins said. “Have we done it perfectly? No.” Despite the missteps, she emphasized that the USDA is working daily to fix issues and expressed confidence in the agency’s progress. She also claimed that individuals holding key roles were excluded from the second round of resignations.
However, her testimony raised questions when she later addressed the House Appropriations Committee. On Wednesday, Rollins stated that no employees from the Farm Service Agency, APHIS offices, or state veterinarian offices were allowed to accept the deferred resignation program in April. This firm denial contradicted firsthand accounts from employees and raised doubts about the accuracy of the department’s internal communication.
Employee Testimonies Contradict USDA’s Official Claims on Resignations
Despite Secretary Rollins’ claims, at least one APHIS employee shared a conflicting experience. NPR reviewed the employee’s official separation agreement, which confirmed acceptance into the deferred resignation program. The employee, who asked to remain anonymous due to fears of retaliation, described a chaotic scene on the day of departure. IT staff struggled to process large numbers of returned government devices, including laptops and phones. He turned in his own equipment and witnessed the strain on remaining personnel.
Adding to the confusion, Armando Rosario-Lebron of the National Association of Agriculture Employees estimated that several hundred APHIS workers from the Plant Protection and Quarantine program may have accepted the resignation offer in April. The USDA has not yet clarified the discrepancy, leaving unresolved tensions between official statements and employee reports.
