WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a sweeping display of urgency barely three days after the federal government reopened, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a broad series of initiatives aimed at stabilizing America’s agricultural sector, protecting religious liberty in the federal workplace, and confronting an escalating livestock threat that officials warn poses risks to the nation’s food supply and rural economy. The announcements, spanning November 17–20, lay out a high-stakes vision from Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins that blends emergency financial relief, constitutional protections, and a coordinated federal defense against the New World Screwworm — a pest capable of devastating livestock herds if allowed to spread.
The moves come in the wake of what administration officials describe as a “radical left Democrat-caused shutdown,” which temporarily halted government operations before a resolution allowed agencies to resume work. Despite the interruption, USDA resumed services faster than many other agencies, even reopening more than 2,000 Farm Service Agency (FSA) county offices in the middle of the shutdown to ensure producers could access assistance during peak harvest.
Now, with operations restored, USDA leaders say billions in aid are flowing, new rights are being established, and a whole-of-government strategy is being mobilized to protect America’s food, fiber, and fuel systems.
Massive Disaster Relief Effort Targets Farmers Still Reeling From 2023–24 Losses
On November 17, the Department unveiled its latest progress on the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), a massive federal aid package for agricultural losses caused by the devastating natural disasters of 2023 and 2024. Rollins emphasized that supporting agricultural producers remains a top national security priority.
“President Trump continues to put Farmers First and provide relief to American farmers reeling from the devastating natural disasters that struck across the United States in 2023 and 2024,” Rollins said. “The continued financial success of our farming and ranching operations is a national security priority.”
Congress approved more than $16 billion in SDRP funding, which USDA’s Farm Service Agency is now distributing. That total comes on top of more than:
- $9.3 billion in Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) payments to more than 560,000 row-crop farmers
- $705 million in Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) payments reaching more than 220,000 ranchers
Stage Two of the SDRP — the newly opened phase — covers losses not reimbursed in Stage One, including quality losses, shallow-loss gaps, and losses affecting tree, bush, and vine crops. FSA county offices will accept Stage Two applications beginning November 24, with both stages open for enrollment until April 30, 2026.
Four states — Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, and Massachusetts — will handle their disaster-related crop losses through USDA block grants, meaning producers in those states are not eligible for SDRP payments.
Since March 2025 alone, USDA has distributed more than $16 billion in supplemental disaster assistance mandated by Congress. More than $5.7 billion in SDRP Stage One payments is already in the hands of producers.
Relief Programs Expand to Milk Losses and On-Farm Storage Damage
In addition to the large-scale disaster programs, USDA opened enrollment for two targeted support initiatives:
- Milk Loss Program: Up to $1.65 million for dairy operations forced to dump milk or remove it from the commercial market due to natural disasters in 2023 or 2024
- On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program: Up to $5 million for producers who lost stored harvested crops during those same events
Applications for both programs run from November 24, 2025, through January 23, 2026. USDA fact sheets and resources are available online.
While these amounts are smaller than the SDRP totals, USDA officials describe them as essential tools to help producers recover from disaster events that destroyed storage structures, disrupted milk collection, and wiped out hard-won harvests.
USDA Issues Sweeping New Religious Liberty Protections for Federal Employees
Just three days later, on November 20, Secretary Rollins announced a sweeping update to USDA’s religious liberty policies, expanding workplace protections for federal employees in alignment with President Trump’s Executive Order 14291 — the order creating the Religious Liberty Commission.
Rollins framed the announcement as part of a broader effort to restore historic constitutional protections in federal agencies.
“From the very beginning, America has recognized the freedom of religion as the bedrock principle of our Republic,” she said. “By protecting the right of every American to live out their faith and express religiously inspired ideas in public and in the workplace without fear, we are defending the very foundation of American liberty.”
The updated guidance includes several major steps:
- Officially rescinding a Biden-era policy that redefined sex discrimination in federally funded nutrition programs to include gender identity — a policy USDA says was used to pressure religious schools participating in the National School Lunch Program
- Affirming the right of USDA employees to express religious viewpoints and practice their faith in the workplace
- Issuing department-wide guidance clarifying religious expression protections
- Launching an internal review to align policy with what USDA calls America’s “historic understanding” of the First Amendment
- Highlighting past abuses, including a previous threat to shut down a meat processing plant over religious materials in an employee breakroom
- Hosting “Faith and Fellowship Night” at the Great American Farmer’s Market to celebrate the connection between agriculture and faith traditions
USDA says the policy overhaul aligns with recent Supreme Court decisions reaffirming First Amendment protections for religious expression in public institutions and workplaces.
USDA Unveils New Unified Website to Combat New World Screwworm Threat
In a separate but equally urgent development, USDA announced the launch of Screwworm.gov, a centralized federal website dedicated to battling the New World Screwworm (NWS), a parasitic pest capable of infecting livestock, wildlife, pets, and even humans.
USDA describes the site as part of a “whole-of-government” response to a national security threat targeting the cattle industry and rural economies.
“The Trump Administration is leading a whole of government effort to protect our nation’s cattle industry from the New World Screwworm,” Secretary Rollins said. “This new unified website will be a one-stop shop for all screwworm-related information.”
Screwworm.gov consolidates information from USDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of the Interior, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the State Department.
The site provides targeted resources for:
- Livestock producers
- Veterinarians
- Animal health officials
- Wildlife managers
- Pet owners
- Healthcare providers
- Researchers
- Drug and vaccine manufacturers
- International travelers
USDA describes the screwworm threat as an urgent concern. While not currently established in the United States, cases in Mexico and migration patterns have heightened nationwide vigilance.
The federal response is coordinated through the U.S. One Health Coordination Unit for NWS — a joint team linking USDA, CDC, and the Department of the Interior to track cases, prepare response strategies, and coordinate cross-border efforts.
Rollins emphasized that protecting cattle herds is a national security issue because widespread screwworm infestations can cripple meat and dairy production, devastate ranching communities, and spread rapidly without swift eradication.
Faith, Resilience, Relief, and Biosecurity: A Transformative Week at USDA
Taken together, USDA’s announcements reflect a department in rapid motion — one balancing disaster recovery, constitutional rights, and biosecurity threats while navigating the aftermath of a federal shutdown.
This three-day slate of actions marks one of the most ambitious late-year pushes in the Department’s recent history, combining immediate financial aid, long-term policy commitments, and whole-of-government coordination.
Disaster Relief: Billions Delivered, Billions More to Come
Between the SDRP Stage One and Stage Two programs, ECAP, ELRP, the Milk Loss Program, and the On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program, USDA is administering what may be the single largest agricultural disaster recovery portfolio in U.S. history.
Producers who suffered losses during the extraordinary wildfire, drought, flood, freeze, hurricane, and derecho events of 2023 and 2024 will remain eligible for assistance well into 2026.
As Stage Two opens, USDA is asking producers to document:
- Non-indemnified crop losses
- Tree and vine damage
- Quality degradation
- Storage structure losses
- Shallow-loss gaps
The agency is also encouraging farmers to meet with local FSA offices early, given the complexity of the available programs and the volume of anticipated applications.
A Constitutional Shift: Religious Liberty at the Center of Federal Policy
USDA’s religious liberty overhaul represents one of the most extensive such policy resets in the federal government under the Trump Administration. It directly affects USDA’s nationwide workforce across:
- Farm credit programs
- Food and nutrition assistance
- Forest management
- Rural development
- Conservation agencies
- Inspection and regulatory operations
This shift could influence agency culture, inter-departmental coordination, and future workplace policy across the federal government.
A Biosecurity Threat Under Watch
Meanwhile, the screwworm initiative underscores USDA’s increasing focus on agricultural biosecurity — an issue magnified by global movement, climate pressures, and heightened disease risks. NWS infestations can spread rapidly among:
- Cattle
- Sheep and goats
- Horses
- Wildlife populations
- Pets
The unified website is designed to support early detection, disseminate scientific guidance, and improve public preparedness.
Three Days, Three National Priorities
From November 17 to November 20, USDA actions reflected three overarching national priorities:
- Economic Security Through Agriculture
Billions in federal relief are aimed at ensuring farmers can recover from unprecedented natural disasters. - Constitutional Rights and Workplace Culture
USDA’s new religious liberty guidance seeks to reshape federal employee rights and accountability. - Biosecurity and National Preparedness
The screwworm initiative brings unprecedented coordination to protect livestock and public health.
Looking Ahead
The coming months will be critical as USDA:
- Processes SDRP Stage Two applications
- Works with Congress on future disaster funding
- Implements new religious liberty protections
- Coordinates NWS prevention and response efforts
- Continues reopening and expanding services post-shutdown
For producers entering a new planting year, dairy operators managing volatile conditions, and ranchers guarding livestock health, these programs represent a lifeline at a moment of profound uncertainty.
For federal employees across USDA mission areas, the new religious liberty guidance signals a significant shift in internal policy and expectations.
For livestock owners nationwide — from ranchers to pet owners — the launch of Screwworm.gov signals heightened vigilance against a pest capable of inflicting widespread economic and ecological damage.
Across all three domains, USDA officials describe their efforts as driven by a singular mission: supporting the Americans who feed, clothe, and fuel the nation, while defending the rights and safety of the people who make that work possible.
USDA, Rollins said, is “doing whatever it takes.”
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