U.S. Department of Agriculture reverses DOGE lease terminations for nine California field offices
OXNARD, Calif. – On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed that lease terminations of nine field offices across California, initially part of cost-cutting measures by the Trump Administration, have been rescinded.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture field offices in Bakersfield, Blythe, Los Angeles, Madera, Mt. Shasta, Oxnard, Salinas, Woodland, and Yreka were mentioned as part of the reversals in a letter addressed to California Senator Schiff from Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.
A spokesperson with Congressman Carbajal's Office confirmed Tuesday that the now-rescinded lease termination in Oxnard is for the Natural Resources Conservation Services field office covered in April.
"Today’s announcement is a big victory for California’s agricultural industry, which would have faced needless hardship under the Administration’s reckless plan," said Congressman Salud Carbajal. "I thank Senator Schiff for leading this fight to protect our state’s critical USDA resources. While today proved that advocacy is still a powerful tool, we must continue to push back against this Administration’s most extreme policies."
In April, Your News Channel reported that the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE claimed a total savings of $75,323 for terminating the $53,075 annual lease at the USDA field office in Oxnard, but just how exactly the group calculated the savings was never directly answered by any federal agency.
The image below was a screenshot taken of the DOGE Savings input for a lease termination on April 9, 2025.
In fact, multiple government watchdog groups have sued the Trump Administration over the secrecy surrounding DOGE claims as the White House has argued in court that the organization -despite its name- is not a department of the federal government and not subject to the Federal Records Act and could be shielded from external oversight for twelve years under the Presidential Records Act.
As of June 3, the cost-cutting organization within the Executive Office of President claims to have saved taxpayers $180 billion, far short of its initial plans of slashing anywhere from $1-$2 trillion from the federal budget.
The accuracy of those savings claims have come under scrutiny, faced a litany of lawsuits and a study from non-partisan advocacy group Partnership for Public Service detailed that the cost of firing and furloughing federal workers alone cost an estimated $135 billion this fiscal year.
Secretary Rollins provided a statement in response to Your News Channel's inquiries back in March about the Oxnard office's closure that shared support for, "President Trump’s directive to eliminate wasteful spending and ensure taxpayer dollars are used effectively." Secretary Rollins continued, "USDA is optimizing building capacity and consolidating underutilized offices to reduce inefficiencies while continuing to prioritize frontline services for farmers, ranchers and rural communities."
"USDA is aware of the termination notices that have been sent by GSA [U.S. General Services Administration] to the field offices in question," stated Secretary Rollins in Friday's letter responding to Congressional inquiries. "My team and I have been in communication with GSA and have asked that GSA rescind the termination notices for Bakersfield, Blythe, Los Angeles, Madera, Oxnard, Salinas, Woodland, and Yreka. As of the date of this letter, we have confirmed that GSA has rescinded the termination notices for Bakersfield, Blythe, Los Angeles, and Salinas, and we will continue to work with GSA to ensure that the remaining termination notices are rescinded."
On May 14, members of California's Congressional delegation sent a letter to Secretary Rollins and Acting Administrator of the General Services Administration Ehikan about the DOGE-directed lease terminations.
"California is the nation’s largest agricultural state. In 2023 alone, California’s farms received $59.4 billion in cash receipts for their output," noted the May 14 letter. "These terminations come at a time when farmers are already navigating an uncertain agricultural economy due to USDA funding freezes and cancellations as well as the impact of tariffs. USDA field offices play a vital role in providing services to agricultural communities across the state, providing loans, grants, and technical assistance. These offices provide farmers with a place to meet face-to-face with USDA staff to discuss services and programs they rely on. Closing these vital centers will make it more difficult for farmers to access the essential resources farmers must be able to rely on."
In March, a federal employee at the Oxnard Natural Resources Conservation Services field office told Your News Channel over the phone he was unaware of any plans to terminate the lease and on April 7, the office’s phone line was disconnected, though the address still appeared on the federal agency’s website.
On Tuesday, June 3, the same employee answered the phone at the Oxnard field office and directed our inquiries to communications staffers for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Despite plans to reduce the size and cost of government championed by the Trump Administration and DOGE, the current Republican budget proposal that has already passed the House is estimated to cost $3.8 trillion over the next ten years.
"Our alarm is exacerbated by the deep proposed cuts in the FY26 President’s Budget," explained the May 14 letter. "Drastic cuts to USDA agencies - National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rural Development, the Forest Service, and others – pose serious risks to California producers and agricultural communities who benefit from activities including, but certainly not limited to, research, pest management, conservation, rural assistance, and wildfire mitigation – supported by USDA."
Your News Channel reached out to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for more information and its response will be added to this article when it is received.
