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Senators press USDA on frozen grants, delayed disaster aid and paused local food programs
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Summary
Multiple senators told Secretary Rollins that grant award letters and program contracts remain frozen and that delays are harming farms, conservation projects and local food banks. Rollins said the department is working through reviews and expected to open disaster‑relief applications within weeks.
Senators from New Hampshire, Maine, Wisconsin and other states told Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins that USDA‑issued awards and program funding remain frozen or delayed, creating uncertainty for producers and local partners.
Senator Jean Shaheen told the subcommittee that an $11 million RCPP award for the Connecticut River Conservancy is still frozen, and that months‑long delays have slowed seasonal work and increased project costs. "When will USDA release the funding?" she asked.
Rollins responded that USDA has worked to move funding and that, in total, the department was “down to the final $5,000,000,000 out of, I believe, almost $20,000,000,000 of frozen funds,” adding that some funds were pulled back and reopened with requests to reapply under the administration’s priorities.
Senators also pressed about disaster assistance. Rollins said the first tranche of emergency assistance — the market‑conditions based program Congress provided — began disbursing March 19 and that most ($—ar—ootnote) of that first $10 billion round had moved. She said the weather‑related $20 billion tranche would open for applications “within a matter of weeks” and that the portal should be open by the end of the month.
Local food and emergency food programs drew repeated questions. Senators said cancellation or pauses in the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA), Local Foods for Schools (LFS) and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP/TFAP) disrupted contracts that farmers and food banks counted on. Rollins described those programs as COVID‑era authorities that, she said, still left many states with unspent funds in state accounts and argued the administration must ensure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently. She agreed to provide more details and to work with senators on cases where money had not been disbursed.
Dairy grants and other competitive awards also emerged. Senator Tammy Baldwin said more than 400 dairy businesses faced nearly $30 million in threatened awards; Rollins said following committee intervention the funds were released and apologized for any harmful delay.
Why it matters: Seasonal conservation work, local food purchases and small‑grant awards are time‑sensitive. Delays can raise costs, interrupt projects and leave producers without expected revenue.
Follow-up and commitments
Rollins asked senators to provide specific cases for the department to investigate and said USDA would follow up with updated state‑level figures. Committee members asked for written tracking and timelines for remaining frozen funds.
