USDA moves forward with mandatory relocation despite pushback

The USDA Rural Development Mission Area intends to move nearly 3,000 members of its workforce out of the Washington, DC area, according to a report from Meatingplace. The relocation aims to modernize operations, increase accountability, and ensure federal resources are positioned where they can deliver the greatest impact. NOTUS reports that employees throughout the department overwhelmingly did not plan to move to new offices across the country – 80% say they would rather quit than move. This month, employee unions and nonprofits asked a federal judge to halt the USDA’s plans, warning a reduction at this scale will hamper wildfire response, slow federal dollars from getting out the door, and damage research. Politico reports that USDA rejected the idea that the reorganization would be detrimental to research.