Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) are at odds over threats to funding for crucial food assistance programs as the Trump administration slashes federal spending.
Rollins, who became head of the Department of Agriculture in February, called the concerns Ryan previously raised about canceled shipments for food banks in his district “fake news,” as she acknowledged the USDA “pulled back” funds she described as “Covid-era” and unspent, when asked about it during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.”
Rollins stressed during the Fox News appearance the USDA funding had not been spent before it was “pulled back.”
“They were asking for more time because they couldn’t figure out how to spend the money so quickly. So that is what we pulled back,” she said, adding the USDA still provides assistance to food banks.
She didn’t elaborate on the specific concerns raised about the additional funding promised, but she accused Ryan of being politically motivated.
“The Democrats are struggling right now for a unifying message. They think this could be it even though it’s completely false,” Rollins said. “They’ve made up this narrative. It is not true in reality, and never — not once will a child go hungry in this country under any sort of USDA program or with President Trump in control and in power.”
Ryan, a first-term representative from upstate New York, quickly shot back at Rollins on social media.
“If it’s truly ‘fake news,’ come join me and tell the hungry kids yourself,” he posted on the social platform X, with a link to the clip of Rollins’s remarks.
The USDA didn’t immediately provide information in response to The Hill’s request for comment, clarification and whether Rollins would join Ryan for a discussion on the topic. A spokesperson said the agency would follow up.
Reuters and Politico reported last month that the Trump administration paused $1 billion for two USDA programs that helped schools and food banks buy products from local farms. The move prompted outcry from Ryan and other lawmakers, who accused the Trump administration of harming needy families.
“We’re all already feeling the crunch of the affordability crisis, which is made immeasurably worse by Trump’s tariffs. Now he’s ripping food away from hungry children – it’s absolutely disgusting,” Ryan said in a statement last week.
Food banks across the country have previously confirmed their shipments were stopped, forcing them to forgo thousands of meals they would have provided and risk the farm-to-food channels they have established, as the Trump administration slashed USDA funding.
President Trump has directed all federal agencies, with assistance from the Department of Government Efficiency to root out wasteful spending. Foreign aid and workforce diversity programs were among the first eliminated in the overhaul.
The Biden administration announced in October it would bolster and expand the food assistance programs established during the COVID-19 pandemic to supply food banks and schools with products from local farmers.
“We are excited to build on these successful collaborations that connect schools and emergency food organizations with nutritious food from local farmers and producers,” Cindy Long, a deputy undersecretary at the USDA during the previous administration, said at the time of the announcement.
According to USDA figures, about 50 million people in the U.S. were deemed food insecure at some point during 2023, which is the most recent data available, and the numbers have been on the rise since 2020.
Politico reported a USDA spokesperson under the current administration confirmed to the outlet that funding “is no longer available and those agreements will be terminated following 60-day notification,” and noted it was initially approved during a previous administration. The spokesperson’s statement added the two affected programs “no longer effectuate the goals of the agency.”
A USDA spokesperson told Reuters the federal agency was still making purchases to support food banks but did not respond to detailed questions about what was cut, according to the outlet.
Source: The Hill
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