At least 15,000 Agriculture Department employees have taken the Trump administration’s offers to resign, according to a readout of a USDA briefing with congressional staff that was shared with POLITICO.
The departures represent a drastic contraction of a department that handles a diverse portfolio including flagship federal nutrition programs, food safety, farm loans and rural broadband initiatives.
While just 3,877 USDA employees signed up for the first deferred resignation program offered in January, 11,305 agreed to leave under the second round, with potentially more resignations to come, according to the readout. The program allows employees to quit and be paid through September.
USDA spokesperson Seth Christensen confirmed the resignation numbers in an email.
