March 12, 2025

Merkley, Wyden Slam Trump’s Layoffs of Vital Agricultural Researchers for Rural and Coastal Communities

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today continue to sound the alarm over staffing shortages at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the impacts of these disruptions on the livelihoods of farmers, fishermen, and ranchers in Oregon and around the country who rely on ARS findings to maintain productivity and competitiveness.

Merkley and Wyden wrote to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins after illegal mass layoffs by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, which are threatening critical agricultural research supporting food security, rural economies, and agricultural industries. Merkley, the former top Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee overseeing the USDA, and Wyden previously demanded Secretary Rollins immediately reverse Trump and Musk’s harmful policies hurting Oregon’s rural communities. Their demands for accountability from the Trump Administration, backed by immense public outcry, led to the reinstatement of six Oregon-based lead scientists working in Newport, Corvallis, Hood River, and Burns. However, the administration has yet to bring back all scientists, technicians, and support staff who ensure this critical research is successful.

“ARS research plays an essential role in ensuring the long-term viability of American agriculture. Its scientists, technicians, and support staff innovate to combat pests and diseases, improve crop yields, fight soil erosion and wildfires, and adapt practices to the effects of climate chaos,” wrote the Senators. “The layoffs threaten the broader research ecosystem by disrupting ARS’s partnerships with universities and private industry. These collaborations ensure that research translates into real-world applications that improve efficiency, sustainability, and resilience in American agriculture. The loss of ARS personnel undermines these efforts, leaving knowledge gaps that could take years to fill. These cuts will have lasting consequences for the agricultural community, researchers, and rural communities, and must be reversed now.”

The Senators cited the impacts on Oregon, “The impact of these staffing cuts is particularly severe in Oregon, where at least 15 agricultural researchers have been laid off. Many of these scientists, technicians, and support staff collaborated with Oregon State University and industry stakeholders on research essential to the state’s agricultural economy, including projects focused on blueberries, tree fruits, and legumes. The ARS Pacific Shellfish Research Unit supports industry and coastal ecosystems by breeding disease-resistant oysters, studying ecological interactions, and improving shellfish stocks. These terminations eliminate crucial expertise and fracture longstanding partnerships that drive agricultural innovation. Without these researchers, ongoing studies are left in limbo, creating uncertainty for grazers, growers, and harvesters who depend on ARS.”

“Given the importance of ARS research to farmers, fishermen, ranchers, and agricultural stakeholders across the country, we urge USDA to take immediate steps to reinstate all affected researchers. The continuation of ARS’s vital work is critical to ensuring the long-term stability and success of American agriculture,” the Senators stressed.

Full text of the letter can be found by clicking here and follows below:

Dear Secretary Rollins,

We write to express serious concerns regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to lay off Agricultural Research Service (ARS) staff. These actions threaten critical agricultural research that strengthens food security, bolsters rural economies, and supports farmers, fishermen, and ranchers. We urge USDA to provide clarity on the status of ARS staffing levels and detail the steps it is taking to reinstate terminated staff and mitigate the disruptions.

ARS research plays an essential role in ensuring the long-term viability of American agriculture. Its scientists, technicians, and support staff innovate to combat pests and diseases, improve crop yields, fight soil erosion and wildfires, and adapt practices to the effects of climate chaos. The layoffs threaten the broader research ecosystem by disrupting ARS’s partnerships with universities and private industry. These collaborations ensure that research translates into real-world applications that improve efficiency, sustainability, and resilience in American agriculture. The loss of ARS personnel undermines these efforts, leaving knowledge gaps that could take years to fill. These cuts will have lasting consequences for the agricultural community, researchers, and rural communities, and must be reversed now.

The loss of ARS personnel has already disrupted areas of study that are vital to Oregon’s agricultural community. Industry leaders have voiced concerns about the consequences of these cuts. Jeff Stone, Executive Director of the Oregon Association of Nurseries, makes clear that “These positions are critical to essential research for agriculture and compromise the research and experiment stations across the state. Research is critical for the long-term viability of nursery operators that bring in over $1.2 billion in traded sector dollars into the state.” These disruptions jeopardize not only research efforts but also the livelihoods of farmers, fishermen, and ranchers who rely on ARS findings to maintain productivity and competitiveness.

The impact of these staffing cuts is particularly severe in Oregon, where at least 15 agricultural researchers have been laid off. Many of these scientists, technicians, and support staff collaborated with Oregon State University and industry stakeholders on research essential to the state’s agricultural economy, including projects focused on blueberries, tree fruits, and legumes. The ARS Pacific Shellfish Research Unit supports industry and coastal ecosystems by breeding disease-resistant oysters, studying ecological interactions, and improving shellfish stocks. These terminations eliminate crucial expertise and fracture longstanding partnerships that drive agricultural innovation. Without these researchers, ongoing studies are left in limbo, creating uncertainty for grazers, growers, and harvesters who depend on ARS.

Because we continue to receive reports of impacts to ARS staffing, please respond to the following questions:

  1. How many ARS staff have been fired since January 20, 2025, and does USDA have plans or processes for reinstating fired employees? If so, please describe the plans or processes.
  2. How does USDA intend to address disruptions caused by the reduction in ARS personnel on ongoing research projects?
  3. What criteria were used to determine which ARS staff positions were terminated and which were reinstated? Please provide a list of the criteria used in these decisions.
  4. How does USDA plan to mitigate the impact of these layoffs on collaborative research efforts with universities and industry partners?
  5. What measures is USDA implementing to ensure that critical research areas, such as pest management, drought resiliency, crop yield, and climate adaptation, continue without interruption?
  6. How is USDA engaging with industry stakeholders to assess and address the impact of these staffing changes?
  7. What steps is USDA taking to prevent similar disruptions in the future and ensure the stability of ARS research programs?
  8. Will you commit to reinstate all ARS fired since January 20, 2025, including technicians and support staff?

Given the importance of ARS research to farmers, fishermen, ranchers, and agricultural stakeholders across the country, we urge USDA to take immediate steps to reinstate all affected researchers. The continuation of ARS’s vital work is critical to ensuring the long-term stability and success of American agriculture.

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