The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) anticipates moving more than half of its employees outside of the Washington, D.C., area as part of its reorganization plans. These employees would be reassigned to one of five regional hubs around the country (Raleigh, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Indianapolis, Indiana; Fort Collins, Colorado; and, Salt Lake City, Utah). USDA has employees at these regional hubs already, and the administration noted the cost of living at these locations is significantly lower than around Washington, D.C.

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the impending relocations saying, “President Trump was elected to make real change in Washington, and we are doing just that by moving our key services outside the beltway and into great American cities across the country.”

Approximately 2,600 of the current 4,600 employees currently working in the National Capital Region would be impacted. Roughly 90 percent of the current USDA workforce is already based outside of the Washington, D.C., area.

The announcement was called a “first step” as part of a broader effort that also includes consolidating or eliminating offices. “Some aspects of the reorganization will be implemented over the coming months while other aspects will take more time to implement,” according to a USDA spokesperson.

As part of the overall reorganization, USDA is vacating real estate in D.C., Virginia, and Maryland, and eliminating or consolidating field and area offices of many subcomponents elsewhere across the country.

Lawmakers pressed an agency official for details about USDA’s plans at a recent Senate Agriculture Committee meeting, expressing concern about the lack of early congressional involvement in the relocation decisions. The Senate Agriculture funding bill for Fiscal Year 2026 includes language that would prevent the use of appropriated funds to relocate USDA offices or employees unless approved by Congress 30 days prior.