USDA Latest: Brooke Rollins Confirmed as Secretary of Agriculture

Key Takeaways:

• Brooke Rollins has been officially confirmed as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald Trump.
• On her first full day in office, she announced a series of policy shifts and reforms within the USDA.
• Rollins rescinded all Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) programs, shifting the focus to meritocracy, unity, and equality.
• She outlined plans for food stamp (SNAP) reform, prioritizing work requirements and state-led pilot programs.
• USDA identified and terminated over $132 million in contracts deemed excess spending.
• Rollins addressed avian flu concerns and strategies to lower egg prices.
• She is set to speak at the National Farm Machinery Show and Tractor Pull in Kentucky.

USDA News: First Actions as Secretary of Agriculture

On her first full day in office, newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a series of executive actions aligned with President Trump’s agenda. Rollins emphasized that her focus will be on efficiency, accountability, and supporting American farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.

“We will neither commemorate nor celebrate our immutable characteristics, neither among ourselves nor among Americans at large,” Rollins stated in her opening address to USDA staff. “We will instead celebrate the things that make us American: merit, faith, and liberty first among them.”

Her initial policy decisions include:

✔ Rescinding Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) programs across the USDA and redirecting the department’s focus to meritocracy and equal treatment for all employees and stakeholders.

✔ Engaging with state leaders by inviting governors to participate in a “laboratories for innovation” initiative aimed at tackling long-standing agricultural challenges.

✔ Proposing reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by introducing stronger work requirements and encouraging states to participate in new pilot programs designed to reduce long-term dependency.

✔ Addressing the avian flu outbreak by reviewing potential strategies to curb the spread and lower egg prices, with plans for an expedited implementation strategy.

✔ Recognizing the U.S. Forest Service for its efforts in combating California wildfires, delivering a video message and letter of appreciation to firefighters.

✔ Reviewing government efficiency and cutting excess spending, identifying over $132 million in terminated contracts and canceling 948 employee training programs, 758 of which were DEI-related.

✔ Holding a White House press briefing to discuss her key priorities, including food prices, SNAP reform, and USDA workforce optimization.

USDA News: Fiscal Responsibility & Cost-Cutting Measures

As part of her efficiency review, Rollins announced that USDA had already eliminated $132 million in excess spending.

• 78 contracts terminated, totaling over $132 million in savings.
• 948 employee training programs canceled, including 758 DEI-focused sessions.
• More than 1,000 additional contracts are currently under review for potential further cuts.

“We are focused on ensuring that every dollar spent by the USDA directly benefits American farmers and ranchers,” Rollins stated.