Secretary Brooke Rollins Takes Bold Action in First 30 Days at USDA

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2025 – In her first month, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has moved swiftly to advance key priorities focused on efficiency and agricultural prosperity. From addressing industry challenges to streamlining government operations, she has focused on policies that reinforce the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) commitment to serving America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.

Secretary Rollins assumed office with a clear vision and unwavering determination to put the American farmer first. She announced a comprehensive five-pronged plan to combat avian flu and lower egg prices; traveled to Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, and Texas to see and hear firsthand from farmers and ranchers; worked with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to streamline USDA operations by cutting wasteful spending and saving American taxpayers millions; ended illegal immigrants’ access to taxpayer funded food stamps; previewed her vision for rural prosperity; convened policy briefings with USDA staff; promoted and amplified the Trump Administration’s commitment to American agriculture in over 25 media interviews; and spoke with various associations, elected officials and foreign counterparts related to international trade and agriculture priorities. 

For an overview of Secretary Rollins’ first month in action, watch the following video:
 

Week One

On Secretary Rollins’ first week at USDA, she: 

• Delivered opening remarks at the Department of Agriculture to more than 400 USDA employees, stakeholders, and congressional members and staff as they welcomed her to her first full day on the job.
• Issued a memorandum to rescind all DEIA programs and celebrations.
• Released the first tranche of funding following a comprehensive review to ensure that USDA is utilizing taxpayers’ dollars effectively.
• Traveled to Kentucky to meet directly with farmers and the local agricultural community, including a fireside chat with over 100 farmers.

• Convened multiple briefings with her policy team, including a 10:00 pm meeting with the DOGE-USDA team, where they slashed additional fraud and waste.

• Traveled to Kansas and Missouri to meet with farmers and ranchers to discuss the challenges and opportunities sharing the agriculture industry.

• Met with U.S Forest Service firefighters, who helped fight the recent wildfires in California, thanking them for their service.

• Sent a letter (PDF, 88.8 KB) to the nation’s governors, sharing her vision for a more prosperous America and requesting their partnership.
• Convened briefings on avian flu and egg prices.
• Reviewed and implemented findings from the Department of Government Efficiency to enhance the USDA workforce and eliminate wasteful spending.
• Announced her intention to seek a federal solution to bar China from buying U.S. farmland.
• Hosted a roundtable with two dozen farmers to hear their perspective on the best approaches to combat avian flu and ultimately lower egg prices.

• Met with Secretary Bobby Kennedy to discuss how they can work together to Make America Healthy Again.

Week Two

 On Secretary Rollins’ second week at USDA, she: 

• Announced a $1 billion-dollar comprehensive strategy to curb highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), protect the U.S. poultry industry, and lower egg prices.

• Published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal detailing her five-pronged plan to combat avian flu and lower egg prices.

• Participated in President Trump’s first Cabinet meeting of his historic second term.

• Directed the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to immediately clarify and enforce all rules restricting SNAP beneficiaries to U.S. citizens and legal residents only – taxpayer resources will not be used to support illegal immigration.
• Hosted a roundtable with governors at the White House to discuss their strategy and partnership to combat Avian Flu.

• Toured a poultry facility in Texas, participated in a roundtable with local farmers to solicit feedback on tackling bird flu and lowering the cost of eggs.

• Delivered remarks at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Winter Policy Conference.

• Announced a $75 million Stewardship Agreement for the construction and maintenance of strategically placed fuel breaks on national forests in California and Oregon.

• Spoke with McDonalds USA CEO, Chris Kempczinski, to thank him for the choice to not add surcharges to eggs.

Week Three 

On Secretary Rollins’ third week at USDA, she: 

• Attended President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress alongside fellow Cabinet members where the President restated the importance of new trade policies for America’s farmers. 

• Traveled to Asheville, North Carolina to survey wildfire and Hurricane Helene damage, and speak directly with brave U.S. Forest Service members to thank them for their service and to hear their perspective on preventing and curtailing fires.

• Delivered remarks at American Farm Bureau with members representing all 50 states.

• Thanked President Donald J. Trump for taking action to adjust tariffs imposed on imports from Canada and Mexico that fall under his historic United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

• Successfully worked with DOGE to cancel a $10 million a year contract. 

• Delivered remarks to hundreds of local leaders at the National Association of Counties, previewing her vision for restoring rural prosperity to America. 

• Delivered remarks at Commodity Classic to a standing-room only crowd of over 3,500, where she announced the Department’s plan to distribute the economic and disaster aid passed by Congress late last year.

Week Four 

On Secretary Rollins’ fourth week at USDA, she: 

• Delivered remarks at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) annual meeting, focusing on USDA’s continuous efforts to help electric cooperatives sustain and revitalize rural communities across the country.

• Traveled to Atlanta to meet with elected officials to discuss the Georgia’s top agricultural priorities before participating in a roundtable with local farmers and producers.

• Joined Fox News and Fox Business to discuss President Trump’s trade agenda and lowering the price of eggs.

• Participated in the first meeting of the Make America Healthy Again Commission with Secretary Kennedy.

• Announced her continued work on the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans alongside Secretary Kennedy.
• Met virtually with Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development to discuss tariffs and trade priorities.
• Spoke with Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food to discuss the US-Canada trade relationship and specifically highlight the importance of addressing barriers to U.S. dairy products.
• Canceled a grant worth $600,000 for a study on menstrual cycles in transgender men.

Throughout her first month, Secretary Rollins has taken bold action to advance President Trump’s America First agenda and ensure the U.S. Department of Agriculture does not stray from the core mission of serving American farmers, ranchers, and producers. 

And we are just getting started! Stay tuned for big news next week for American agriculture. 

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