Trump Seeks Billions in USDA Budget Cuts, More Relocation Funds

White House proposal aims to slash Agriculture Department's annual budget while funding relocation of thousands of DC-area staff.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 2:54pm

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A dynamic, abstract painting in overlapping geometric waves of muted blues, grays, and greens, conveying a sense of disruption and reorganization.The White House's proposal to slash the USDA budget and relocate thousands of agency staff signals a broader effort to downsize the federal government.Washington Today

The White House has released a proposal to cut the Agriculture Department's annual budget by billions of dollars while also requesting $50 million to implement the department's ongoing reorganization and relocation of thousands of USDA staff from the Washington, D.C. area to offices around the country by the end of the year.

Why it matters

The proposed USDA budget cuts are part of the Trump administration's broader efforts to reduce the size and scope of the federal government, while the relocation plan aims to decentralize the department and move more staff out of the nation's capital.

The details

The White House is asking Congress to appropriate $20.8 billion in discretionary fiscal 2027 funding for the USDA, a 6.7% decrease from the $22.3 billion budget request for fiscal 2026. Despite the broad cuts, the administration is seeking $50 million to facilitate the relocation of thousands of USDA employees currently based in the Washington, D.C. area to offices around the country.

  • The White House proposal was released on Friday, April 3, 2026.
  • The USDA reorganization and relocation plan is slated for completion by the end of 2026.

The players

Donald Trump

The 45th President of the United States, who is proposing the USDA budget cuts and relocation plan as part of his administration's efforts to reduce the size of the federal government.

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What’s next

Congress will need to review and approve the White House's proposed USDA budget for fiscal 2027, including the funding for the department's relocation plan.

The takeaway

The Trump administration's proposed cuts to the USDA budget and relocation of thousands of department employees from Washington, D.C. are part of a broader effort to downsize the federal government and decentralize agency operations away from the nation's capital.