US farm secretary says USDA reorganization blocked by judge is ‘full bore ahead’

By Leah Douglas

WASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Reuters) – US Secretary of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Thursday that the Department of Agriculture is “full bore ahead” on an agency reorganization that was blocked by a federal judge last week. 

The USDA has planned to relocate thousands of employees outside of the Washington region and consolidate other regional offices as part of the President Donald Trump administration’s overhaul of the federal branch. 

A federal judge October 13 blocked the effort at several USDA agencies, ruling that the agency was “reprogramming” congressional funds for the reorganization, or using money for a different purpose than ​it was intended.  

“We are full bore ahead in the reorganization,” Rollins said on a call with reporters. “We believe in it more today than we ever have.”

The USDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Leah Douglas in Washington; Editing by Chris Reese)

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