Addresses the National Association of Counties
Washington, D.C., Mar. 4, 2025 — Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins delivered remarks to hundreds of local leaders at the National Association of Counties. There, she previewed her vision for restoring rural prosperity to America. She discussed the importance of the President’s efforts to rein in out-of-control government spending and federal overreach to return more power to the people. She also addressed the wildfires in the Carolinas and provided an update on the Department’s distribution of economic and disaster aid passed by Congress in December.
See excerpts as prepared below:
On the wildfires in North and South Carolina:
“The brave men and women of the U.S. Forest Service are working closely with our state and local partners to stamp out the fires. We have deployed hundreds of firefighters—and we will deploy more if needed. To all of the leaders here from North and South Carolina… Please tell the people of your states that we have your back.”
On the importance of rural communities:
“America’s rural towns have and always will be the beating heart of our nation…. Families moved west to start a new life in a new land. They came together to build churches, schools, and city halls. They settled fields and forests and weathered hardships beyond what we can comprehend. They risked all they had to open storefronts and stand up Main Streets. They celebrated life’s joys together and cared for those who fell on hard times….
“That is why I truly believe that restoring rural prosperity isn’t simply about bringing back jobs, although that is important. It’s about restoring hope to our communities. It’s about protecting and preserving the quintessential American way of life.”
On optimizing USDA:
“We are returning the Department of Agriculture to its core mission of supporting farmers and ranchers. I am proud to work with the Department of Government Efficiency to streamline inefficiencies across the Department….
“At the same time, I understand that this review process has caused concern among some of your farmers who participate in longstanding USDA farm programs. In many instances, they had no way of knowing whether these programs were funded through the farm bill or through IRA funds. We are working to review these programs as quickly as possible.”
On economic and disaster aid:
“To provide short term relief to rural communities who have been hit by the difficult economic circumstances over the last four years, we are also working around the clock to distribute the $30 billion in economic and disaster aid that Congress passed in December.
“Congress gave us 90 days to start distributing the first $10 billion in economic assistance—and we are on track to begin applications on or before March 20.
“This program will be called the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, or E-CAP—and I have directed my team to develop a simple, fair, and user-friendly application process.
“We are simultaneously working on rapid implementation of the $20 billion in disaster assistance due to weather conditions outside farmers’ control.”
On tax reform:
“As President Trump works with Congress to extend and perhaps even expand tax cuts, I will work alongside him to repeal the death tax to continue the proud legacy of family farms. I also welcome your suggestions to encourage businesses to move production out of foreign nations and back to small towns across America.”
On the farm bill:
“I am also committed to working with Congress to get a new farm bill across the finish line this year. We have a terrific team of members in the House and Senate leading those efforts, and I stand ready to assist them. Together, we can avoid punting a full five-year farm bill for a third time, and instead provide farmers the certainty they need to plan for the future.”
On rural prosperity:
“Finally, and most importantly, over the coming weeks I will be unveiling a new initiative to work with our federal, state, and local partners to develop a bold strategy to revive rural communities. We will talk more about these details in the weeks ahead, but here are a few principles that will guide our work:
“We will ensure that USDA’s Rural Development programs are running as efficiently and effectively as possible to support the people they are intended to serve. We are carefully considering how we can improve programs to incentivize greater growth.
“We will invite the private sector to participate in this national endeavor, encouraging innovative solutions such as satellite internet, new and better healthcare options, and excellent childcare and schools, among many other ideas.
“We will also acknowledge that the federal government is not always the best solution—and we will look for ways to restore more power to you—the local leaders who know your communities better than anyone in Washington.”
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