The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report questioning the USDA's plan to relocate 2,600 jobs from Washington, D.C. to various hubs, stating that the department did not analyze the economic impact of this decision. The report highlights a workforce reduction of about 20% at the USDA and notes that a federal judge has temporarily halted the reorganization due to potential violations of spending restrictions. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has dismissed the report as partisan and provided data that did not meet the GAO's requests for analysis.
Key facts
- GAO report released on November 10, 2026.
- USDA plans to relocate 2,600 jobs from D.C. to other hubs.
- USDA workforce decreased from 91,000 to less than 73,000 between December 2024 and March 2026.
- Federal judge temporarily halted the reorganization due to funding violations.
- Rollins accused GAO of partisan motives regarding the report.
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