Partnership for Public Service Statement on USDA Reorganization 

April 24, 2026

WASHINGTON – The nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service today released the following statement from President and CEO Max Stier in response to the Trump administration’s decision to relocate 200 staff from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service office in Washington, D.C. to Fort Collins, Colo.: 

“Recent history is clear: uprooting federal agencies from Washington, D.C. doesn’t make our government more effective or efficient. Prior relocations at USDA during the first Trump administration resulted in a severe reduction of the agency’s capacity to serve the public. 

“Reorganizations like this one often result in attrition and low morale among the workforce. The last time the USDA relocated agencies, over half of experienced career staff chose to leave rather than relocate their families. For FSIS, which is responsible for ensuring the safety of billions of pounds of beef, poultry and egg products each year, that kind of talent drain will cause serious food safety risks.  

“The purpose of a capital city is to house the leadership of government in one place so agencies can coordinate, collaborate, and be held accountable. Nearly 87% of the federal workforce already operates outside of D.C. and arbitrarily scattering headquarters functions across multiple states makes it harder for agencies to effectively work with Congress and serve the public.  

“When it comes to food safety, there is no room for error. We call on Congress to exercise its oversight responsibilities, ask hard questions about this plan and ensure that FSIS can continue to protect the American people.” 

The Partnership recently published results from the proprietary Public Service Viewpoint Survey to understand the state of federal employee engagement and its impact on effective service delivery at USDA and other federal agencies. Learn more here.  

Check out the Partnership’s Government for a New Era Initiative to learn more about our efforts to engage Congress and other partners to help develop reforms for a more effective, responsive and accountable government. 

During the past 25 years, the nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service has been dedicated to building a better government and a stronger democracy. We work across administrations to help transform the way government works by providing agencies with the data insights they need to succeed, developing effective leaders, inspiring the next generation to public service, facilitating smooth presidential transitions and recognizing exceptional federal employees.      

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