Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue proposed to skeptical senators the legislative version of a money-back offer: Let me run rural development my way for a year and if you’re not happy, you can have your undersecretary back. Perdue said he expects prompt and gratifying results from his approach of putting economic development under his direct control.
Until now, rural development was one of USDA’s operating wings, each overseen by an undersecretary with broad power and one step below Perdue in the organizational chart. In a reorganization plant that took effect on Monday, Perdue reformulated rural development as an agency that reports to his office. He hired Anne Hazlett, chief counsel for the Senate Agriculture Committee, as the new assistant to the secretary for rural development.
“If you do not think we are making progress in rural development by the time the farm bill comes up, I welcome you all to direct us to create the nomenclature for an undersecretary for rural development,” Perdue responded when Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley said the reorganization plan, unveiled on May 11, was being rushed into place.
The announcement of Hazlett as the new development chief came two days before the deadline for public comments on reorganization. Merkley said the sequence suggested “it was predetermined” that there would be no change in the plan. The 2014 farm law directed USDA to create the post of undersecretary for trade and to adjust its operational structure accordingly. Perdue created the new undersecretary’s office, abolished the long-standing undersecretary for rural development, and put land stewardship programs under control of the undersecretary that the runs crop subsidy and crop insurance programs. Rural development has been the lightning rod for criticism of the reorganization.
“There’s not going to be an intermediary,” Perdue said in defending the new configuration for rural development. “I’m an accountability guy.” Hazlett will have “walk-in privileges” and is expected to be a high-energy proponent for rural development. Activist groups say rural development had greater stature with an undersecretary in charge. The agency will have to fight for attention from Perdue in the new set-up, say critics.
Merkley was one of four members of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture to criticize abolition of the undersecretary post or the Trump administration proposal to eliminate 40 rural development programs and cut funding by 20 percent, with resulting cuts in staffing. The proposed budget for fiscal 2018 also would cut food stamps by 25 percent and restrict access to crop insurance subsidies.
Subcommittee Chairman John Hoeven of North Dakota said “the burden of balancing the federal budget cannot be put on the backs of farmers and rural communities.” Merkley, the senior Democrat on the panel, said the package was proof that rural America was not a priority for Trump. “Rural America is drying up. If the infrastructure isn’t there, we have problems,” said Montana Democrat Jon Tester. And New Mexico Democrat Tom Udall said the bulk of an expected cut of 5,200 jobs would come from local offices.
At several points involving rural development programs, funding for rural programs, continuation of food aid programs and conservation planning, Perdue said he would defer to the wisdom of the subcommittee. In response to questions from Hoeven and Democrat Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Perdue said sweetener trade with Mexico and dairy access to Canada will be top issues during renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
To watch a video of the hearing or to read Perdue’s written testimony, click here.