Oppose the USDA’s reorganization plans and require release of public comments
On April 30, 2026, USDA intensified its attack on food access and nutrition programs by announcing a complete overhaul of the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) Chapter 226, representing employees administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and other crucial nutrition programs, is sounding the alarm that USDA’s plans to dramatically reorganize FNS endanger food assistance for millions across the country.
USDA announced plans to forcibly relocate thousands of employees in the national capital region (NCR) and across the country to designated locations across the US. Previous agency relocations at USDA, including the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, led to the resignation of more than half of the affected workforce, resulting in a significant loss of institutional knowledge and reduced oversight. FNS has already lost over ⅓ of its workforce since January 2025. This FNS reorganization and relocation will force USDA employees out in droves, crippling the agency’s ability to serve farmers and families alike.
FNS employees are responsible for administering 16 nutrition programs, including SNAP, school meals, and WIC. These programs serve 1 in 4 Americans annually and would cease to function without the dedicated employees who administer these programs every day.
Federal appropriations language prohibits USDA from using FY26 funds for relocation without advanced notice and congressional approval. Congress must oppose this thinly veiled effort to cut the workforce, enforce its oversight authority to prohibit a relocation, and require USDA to provide detailed briefings and written disclosures on staffing losses, affected offices, program risks, relocation costs, and impacts on SNAP, WIC, and child nutrition operations of any proposed relocation.
Content for this call topic kindly contributed by NTEU Chapter 226
Contacts for this topic:
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].
I’m calling to urge [REP/SEN NAME] to oppose the USDA FNS restructuring and call on USDA to provide detailed briefings and written disclosures on staffing losses, affected offices, program risks, relocation costs, and impacts on SNAP, WIC, and child nutrition operations of any proposed relocation. I’m concerned about the impact of the proposed restructuring and the disruption it would cause to nutrition programs that millions of Americans depend on daily. Relocations of this scale are costly to taxpayers and have previously reduced program oversight, delayed services, and disrupted services that help farmers, families, and rural America.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
