Agriculture Department Terminates Contracts to Reduce Wasteful Spending
The Agriculture Department, led by Secretary Brooke Rollins, has terminated nearly 80 contracts totaling over $132 million to eliminate wasteful spending, following a review from the DOGE initiative.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced on Friday that the department has terminated nearly 80 contracts, including those for a Brazilian forest and a gender consultant and a Central American gender assessment consultant.
Rollins stated that the 78 contracts active under the Biden administration totaled more than $132 million, with over 1,000 contracts still under review for potential termination.
The decision follows a review from the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, which Rollins believes will aid the Agriculture Department in eliminating wasteful spending.
Rollins expressed support for DOGE’s efforts at the USDA, stating, "I welcome DOGE's efforts at USDA because we know that its work makes us better, stronger, faster, and more efficient. I will expect full access and transparency to DOGE in the days and weeks to come."
The terminated contracts accounted for $374,000 for diversity, equity, and inclusion onboarding, $254,000 for diversity dialogue workshops, and $298,000 for international development aimed at historically underrepresented communities. Other notable terminations include $229,000 for a Brazilian forest and gender consultant and $121,000 for a women and forest carbon initiative mentorship program.
Rollins previously issued a memo to officially rescind all diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs, shifting the focus towards unity, equality, and meritocracy.
As part of these changes, the Agriculture Department has canceled 948 employee trainings, 758 of which were exclusively focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The remaining cancellations included topics on environmental justice and gender ideology.
The department also terminated a $91,000 contract for training, education, and access to professional opportunities for women in African, Middle Eastern, Latin American, and Caribbean regions, emphasizing climate change adaptation.
Additional cuts included a neighborhood electric vehicle utility van for $33,000 and a Hawaii conference room rental for a 100-person meeting on biodiversity worth $11,000.
Moreover, the Agriculture Department has reduced $277 million from media contracts, including subscriptions to informational services like POLITICO Pro, which primarily served private sector subscribers.
The White House announced plans to eliminate subscriptions to certain news organizations as a strategy to minimize government expenditure, a move supported by federal agencies and lawmakers, including some Republicans.
Lastly, Rollins indicated that the Agriculture Department aims to optimize its workforce by cutting unnecessary positions, mandating employees' return to the office, and relocating employees to the heartland of the nation.
