USDA Statement on Releasing Much Needed Disaster Aid for Farmers

(Washington, D.C., June 4, 2025) - U.S. Department of Agriculture Director of Communications Seth W. Christensen today released a statement calling out Congressional Democrats for politicizing disaster aid for farmers in need across the country:

"Congressional Democrats are playing politics with disaster aid, withholding critical funding from farmers to manufacture controversy and blame the Trump Administration-when in reality, they're pushing to misuse taxpayer dollars.

Secretary Rollins is working in good faith to deliver relief quickly and responsibly. USDA has met weekly with eligible states, offering flexible options and clear guidance to avoid duplicating existing federal programs.

Some states, led by partisan officials, have refused to engage. They're not just denying aid to their own farmers-they're now delaying relief for producers nationwide.

Secretary Rollins remains focused on getting farmers the support they need, despite these political stunts."

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On May 7^th, USDA announced plans to expedite $21 billion in disaster assistance. Farmers started receiving payments for livestock relief last week, two days ahead of schedule. This is in direct contrast to the Biden Administration's USDA where disaster relief programs took an average of 13 months, and in one case 19 months, to release the much needed disaster assistance programs under Secretary Vilsack's leadership. These unnecessary delays cause real harm on the farm.

To ensure total transparency, USDA updates this landing page to track the status of USDA's disaster resource rollouts.

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