WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) yesterday questioned U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins during the Senate Appropriation Subcommittee on Agriculture hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the Department of Agriculture.

Earlier this year, Sen. Moran introduced legislation to move the Food for Peace program to USDA, and during the hearing, Sen. Moran questioned Secretary Rollins’ on USDA’s willingness to take on this new responsibility.

“It was my understanding that both OMB and the Department of Agriculture responded to the idea favorably,” said Sen. Moran. “I’m anxious to hear what you believe myself and my colleagues ought to be doing to provide American commodities to people who are starving around the world and if this is something you are still interested in acquiring.”

Sen. Moran also questioned Secretary Rollins on staffing shortages at USDA county offices in Kansas and the importance of having USDA employees working in rural communities.

“We do not have sufficient personnel in rural county offices in Kansas,” said Sen. Moran. “We particularly love when a young man or woman returns home to Kansas and goes to work for USDA in a county office. Secretary Rollins, will you pay particular attention to making certain that county offices, where farmers sit across the table from USDA employees, are sufficiently staffed?”

Sen. Moran also highlighted the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas. The facility opened in 2015 and aims to protect American agriculture and public health from animal diseases. Secretary Rollins agreed with Sen. Moran that NBAF is a critical asset to agriculture and said she is committed to ensuring that the facility moves forward in a manner that best serves America.

Click HERE to watch Sen. Moran’s Questions