Washington, D.C.  -   A plan to close rural U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) field offices is misguided, lacks Congressional approval, and should be stopped until hearings are held to discuss the issue, Congressman Mike Rogers said today.

The plan, which was sent unexpectedly to Congressional offices this week and without any prior consultation with members of the House Agriculture Committee, outlines the closing of hundreds of USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices nationwide. Several of these offices are located in the Third District.

In response, Rogers sent a letter today to Agriculture Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) to request hearings on the proposal. Alabama Congressmen Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Mobile) and Rep. Terry Everett (R-Rehobeth) also signed the letter.

‘USDA has already consolidated FSA offices in an earlier effort to cut costs…Closing any of the remaining offices could limit the amount of farmers that FSA can assist in a timely and efficient manner,’ the Alabama representatives wrote.

“I am very disappointed the Agriculture Department has put forth this plan without first consulting Congress,” Rogers said. “While I certainly support efforts to modernize and streamline USDA, Congress must first examine this issue closely to ensure our farmers will not be hurt by these drastic proposals.”

Under the USDA proposal, the agency would close field offices in Macon, Calhoun, Lee, Talladega, Cherokee, and Russell counties. Rogers is a member of the Agriculture Committee.