USDA aims to finish review of frozen funds this month

By Marc Heller | 05/08/2025 06:41 AM EDT

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told lawmakers her department is nearly done with its holdup of billions in funding.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins during one of two congressional hearings this week. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

The Trump administration is in the final weeks of a review that has left as much as $20 billion in grants and contracts in limbo, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Wednesday.

On the second day of congressional hearings on the administration’s fiscal 2026 budget outline, Rollins said $5 billion in program funding remains to be analyzed as officials determine whether the spending aligns with President Donald Trump’s priorities.

“I understand $5 billion is still a lot of money but we have made progress,” Rollins told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, responding to questions from Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.).

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Officials should finish the review by the end of May, she said.

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