Harris Remarks at Budget Hearing on U.S. Department of Agriculture

Good morning. I want to thank you all for being here today for this hearing to review the budget and programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We are pleased to be joined by the Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins. Secretary Rollins, we welcome you to the Subcommittee. I look forward to hearing about your priorities and the work that has been underway at USDA during the first 100 days of the Trump Administration. 

As you know, we have the most productive and efficient agricultural producers in the world. It’s critical that they maintain access to important crop protection tools and technology so that they can continue to feed our nation and the world. They also need access to land, which is why I am concerned about solar panels being placed on prime farmland in my district and across the country. My producers are very concerned by this, and I look forward to working with administration to end tax subsidies and dis-incentivize such technologies so that we can keep fertile farmland in production.

Madam Secretary, I want to commend you for your leadership in quickly implementing the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program. In December, Congress enacted $31 billion in disaster and economic relief for farmers and ranchers. Producers are applying for the $10 billion set-aside for economic assistance, and payments are already being made. The speed at which USDA worked to make these funds available to farmers highlights this Administration’s emphasis that our government work in a better and more efficient manner for the American people. It also highlights your commitment to have the backs of farmers and ranchers following several years of a poor agricultural economy.

At the same time, USDA cannot take its foot off the gas in implementing the remaining $21 billion in disaster funds. Producers across the country faced devastating natural disasters in 2023 and 2024, from floods in California, persistent drought in many of the Great Plains states, and hurricanes across Florida and the Southeastern United States. The Subcommittee held a roundtable with USDA officials at the end of March to discuss implementing these disaster funds, and we are anxious to hear an update on the next steps and timeline for delivering these funds to farmers.

I also appreciate you prioritizing USDA’s response to the avian influenza outbreak which began in 2022. This disease has decimated poultry flocks across the country, including broiler flocks in Maryland, and has spread to dairy cattle nationwide. You have directed additional funding towards combating the disease, and I look forward to an update on this evolving situation. 

As you know, poultry production is important to my district, and I appreciate that you have already made great progress in reducing unnecessary burdens on the poultry industry by finally addressing line speeds at processing facilities. But the Biden Administration also pushed harmful Packers & Stockyards regulations that dictate how poultry and livestock producers raise and market their animals, and I hope those rules will be addressed by the Trump Administration. 

My district also includes the Chesapeake Bay, which has been devastated by invasive blue catfish. Congress has provided funding to increase processing capacity to establish a self-sustaining market for invasive catfish. Processors in the Bay are eager to apply for this funding, so USDA must move forward with the application process as quickly as possible. 

At the same time, processors have worked with the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to purchase more wild-caught catfish for the USDA nutrition programs. I would ask that you ensure wild-caught catfish is included in AMS solicitations equally with other seafood products. 

Another issue that you and I have discussed, Madam Secretary, is that the federal government should not continue to subsidize unhealthy food in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Over the past 20 years, cities and states have asked USDA for the ability to restrict SNAP purchases of sugary drinks and unhealthy food, but each time those requests have been denied. We must return SNAP, the largest food assistance program in America, back to its original purpose of providing nutritious food for participants. I am glad to see the proactive steps you have taken to work with States on this, and I look forward to working with you to move the program in this direction.

Finally, on Friday we received a high-level overview of the Fiscal Year 2026 President’s budget request. Several programs are marked for elimination or significant reductions, and I hope we will receive a more detailed budget request as soon as possible.  We need to understand the potential savings and efficiencies that have been identified at USDA as we move through our appropriations process.  When the country is running a $2 trillion deficit, we have a responsibility to spend every taxpayer dollar wisely. Again, I appreciate you being with us for today’s discussion, Madam Secretary.