Senators Urge USDA to Explain DOGE Review of Farm Loans

Democrats in the Senate have asked USDA to explain why the Department of Government Efficiency must approve certain government farm loans and loan guarantees before they are issued.  The lawmakers also told USDA they wanted details about how such reviews are being conducted and whether DOGE will be vetting other USDA farm assistance programs.

The letter, led by Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar, was sent late Tuesday to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, and was signed by 16 senators, including Oregon’s Ron Wyden, California’s Adam Schiff and others.  The letter comes after a memo was released earlier this year outlining policy changes related to FSA farm loan programs.

"The April 29, 2025 memo reportedly requires that farm loans and loan guarantees exceeding $500,000 as well as any loans or guarantees to “formal entities” such as an LLC must be “reviewed and cleared” not only by the USDA Chief Financial Officer (CFO) but also by DOGE employees," the letter stated.  "Because most farming operations are structured as some type of entity, this requirement could impact a large number of loans and loan guarantees."

Click Here to read that letter sent by senate democrats.

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