Congress Must Protect Farmers from Trump Administration Cuts, Save USDA Climate Hubs

WASHINGTON-The Trump administration is expected to shut down all U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Climate Hubs unless Congress acts to protect them. The House-passed agriculture appropriations bill report explicitly defunds them, making Senate action urgently necessary.

The 10 regional Climate Hubs play a unique and essential role in the USDA by translating data and cutting-edge science into practical tools that help the USDA and farmers, ranchers, forest managers, and other agricultural professionals make informed decisions about how best to adapt to extreme weather and shifting growing conditions.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is urging Congress to maintain Climate Hub funding and include clear protective language that prohibits the Trump administration from shuttering them. The Senate should also provide longer-term certainty for the hubs by explicitly authorizing and protecting them in their farm bill proposal.

Below is a statement by Dr. Kate Anderson, director of the Food and Environment Program at UCS.

"USDA Climate Hubs provide invaluable support to rural economies across the country, and it would be a travesty for agricultural industries to lose this vital resource just because 'climate' is in the program's name. These hubs help ensure farming, ranching, and forestry businesses survive and thrive in challenging and changing conditions by sharing data on risks and providing tools and technical assistance so they can make better-informed decisions to deal with shifting drought patterns, extreme heat, wildfire, flooding and pests.

"Congress must make continued support for USDA Climate Hubs explicit in the FY2027 appropriations process and include clear language confirming that the hubs will remain funded, staffed, and operational, rather than leaving their status vulnerable. If Congress leaves the future of the hubs ambiguous, it will be giving the Trump administration a clear path to dismantle them."

Below is a statement by Dr. Julian Reyes, chief of staff at UCS and former national coordinator for the USDA Climate Hubs program.

"If Congress cares about farmers, who are facing more volatile weather and growing challenges due to climate change, it must do everything possible to protect one of the USDA's most practical risk-management resources. Modest financial support for the USDA Climate Hubs helps deliver an important return on investment for the U.S. government, agricultural industries, and people across the country. Shuttering the program will likely end up costing us far more than what we spend on it.

"Senate Agriculture Appropriations Chair Hoeven and Ranking Member Shaheen, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Boozman and Ranking Member Klobuchar, and other leaders in Congress should take steps to ensure continued funding for Climate Hubs for the benefit of all farmers, foresters and ranchers."

If you would like to talk to Drs. Anderson or Reyes or any other UCS experts, please reach out to UCS Media Director Ashley Siefert Nunes.

Additional UCS Resources:

• UCS blog, "The USDA's Climate Hubs Could Help Farmers Adapt to Extreme Weather"
• UCS resource, "Food and Farm Solutions"