Ian Brickey, ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate held a hearing to review the Trump administration’s proposed reorganization of a critical federal agency.
In a hastily scheduled session, Senators debated the White House’s controversial plan, revealed last week by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, which would move around 2,600 employees out of the department’s Washington, D.C. headquarters and into five regional hubs and shutter major research facilities. Senators on both sides of the aisle, including Committee Chair John Boozman (R-AR) and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), have expressed dissatisfaction with the Trump administration’s decision not to inform them of the reorganization before its announcement.
The Department of Agriculture has been significantly affected by budget and staffing cuts stretching back to the beginning of the second Trump administration. Some estimates calculate the department could lose nearly one-third of its staff under Donald Trump’s proposed FY26 budget, including nearly 90 percent of wildland fire management staff and 70 percent of national forest system staff.
In response, Anna Medema, Associate Director of Legislative and Administrative Advocacy, released the following statement:
“It’s deeply concerning that the Trump administration refused to consult Congress before embarking on a massive, disruptive reorganization of a critical federal agency. Agencies like the Forest Service have already suffered some of the worst consequences of the wide-reaching DOGE cuts, and are now facing further confusion and disorganization by the administration’s rushed proposal. As wildfire season ramps up this summer, it is more imperative than ever to have a fully staffed and functional workforce.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.