Lawmakers call on government to study staffing needs at USDA Rural Development

WASHINGTON (WCAX) – Lawmakers from across our region want to make sure the U.S. Department of Agriculture has the staffing it needs to help you.

Vermont Sens. Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch, New Hampshire Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, Vermont Rep. Becca Balint and New Hampshire Rep. Chris Pappas want the federal government to study staffing at the USDA’s Rural Development office.

That office helps implement programs from the USDA in rural communities, connecting businesses with new markets and helping to modernize infrastructure.

In a letter to the Government Accountability Office, the lawmakers said the rural development office hasn’t been able to hire like it needs to, impacting how it carries out its mission.

“Through more than 70 programs, RD delivers over $40 billion a year in loans, loan guarantees, and grants to rural communities, and manages a $200 billion loan portfolio. These programs create a crucial lifeline to rural communities by guaranteeing access to capital, and supporting community efforts related to disaster preparedness, resiliency, and recovery,” the lawmakers wrote, in part. “However, it is our understanding that there are two key issues that impede RD’s ability to carry out its mission: Insufficient funding from Congress; and USDA’s internal processes that inhibit RD from hiring at scale.”