An independent federal board last week temporarily reinstated nearly 6,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture employees who were recently fired by the Trump administration, buying 45 days for those workers while an investigation into their termination continues.
But as Americans have become all too aware, any sense of normalcy at the USDA — or any federal entity — these days is fleeting at best. So it should come as no surprise — sadly — that once again, the administration is showing that it’s all too willing to make devastating cuts that not only hurt workers, but farmers, schoolchildren and people who depend on food banks to feed their families.
The latest casualty: Two crucial programs that gave schools and food banks across the country money to buy food from local farms and ranchers, putting a screeching halt to more than $1 billion in federal funding, Politico reported.
The Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program have been canceled for 2025 because they “no longer effectuate the goals of the agency,” the USDA said in a statement.
Illinois is among the affected states, and has also been forced to cease its Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program due to cuts.
Of the $660 million earmarked for school and child care facilities for the Food for Schools program, Illinois was slated to receive over $26 million this fiscal year, according to the USDA.
Schools are already facing a “funding crunch” with rising costs for food and labor, said Diane Pratt-Heavner, a spokesperson for the School Nutrition Association. Farmers and ranchers who sold their goods through the program will also pay the price, along with children who may very will eat the most nutritious meal of their day through school meal programs.
The USDA won’t reimburse for any program costs incurred after Jan. 19. Illinois stands to lose at least $18 million still outstanding
“This loss in support for our farmers, especially those from communities that have historically been disinvested in, is a loss for everyone in our state,” Illinois Department of Human Services Secretary Dulce M. Quintero said.
It’s hard to keep track of the cuts and chaos of this administration. But one thing that isn’t hard to see: The cuts will do little to help, and a lot to harm, everyday Americans.
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