National Capital Region Democrats’ Statement on Relocation of USDA’s Food Assistance Employees

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) and U.S. Representatives Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Don Beyer (VA-08), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), and James Walkinshaw (VA-11) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a reorganization that would move most employees who work in food assistance and nutrition programs out of the National Capital Region (NCR):

"With only 30 days notice, the Trump Administration decided to attack federal employees, their families, and make it harder to administer Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other food assistance programs. To be clear: this is a mass layoff and illegal reorganization under the guise of a relocation.

"This administration is also intentionally forcing hardworking and experienced USDA employees to choose between losing their careers in the midst of mass federal layoffs or moving their entire family across the country during the school year and uprooting their lives at a time of rising inflation. 

"In one swift move, the Administration is undercutting food assistance, food safety, and farmers. This will make every single American less healthy and less safe. It will also increase food and healthcare costs on every single American.

"We saw this exact move before in 2019 with other USDA offices, and it was a disaster. It resulted in serious brain drain, reduced morale, and draconian cuts to programs that the American people rely on. 

"It's clear this is also another targeted and cynical Republican attack on SNAP from millions of Americans. Make no mistake – this is not about government efficiency, it is not about optimizing services for the American people, and it is not about maximizing the use of taxpayer dollars. It is the latest in a long series of attempts by this administration to break the spirits of federal public servants and disrupt the delivery of crucial services to the American people. 

"In short, this move will be a disaster. We will do everything we can to fight it and eventually reverse it.”