U.S. Secretary of Ag Brooke L. Rollins announced a new memorandum of understanding with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to combat weaponized regulatory and enforcement actions against America’s producers, ranchers and small businesses. This partnership advances Pillar 4 of the Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework by building a government-wide shield against lawfare.
Secretary Rollins was joined by SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, Special Envoy for American Landowners John Rich, Director of the Bureau of Land Management Stevan Pearce, Representative Harriet Hageman, Representative Eli Crane and affected producers and ranchers, along with representatives from leading legal organizations including the America First Policy Institute, Institute for Justice, Texas Public Policy Foundation, Pacific Legal Foundation, American Stewards of Liberty and Mountain States Legal Foundation.
“Producers and ranchers who feed this nation should never face the full power of government alone,” Rollins said. “This partnership with the SBA creates clear pathways for redress, ensures fairness in enforcement, and demonstrates that Washington stands with, not against, the hardworking Americans who sustain our country. Through the USDA Lawfare Portal and interagency collaboration, we are delivering real protection under the Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework.”
“For too many ranching families, lawfare has become just another cost of doing business—except it’s one no hardworking producer should ever have to bear,” Rich said. “I’ve traveled across this country and met families who have spent years fighting bureaucrats instead of tending their cattle, working their land, or passing their operations on to the next generation. This partnership sends a clear message: the federal government is done standing on the sidelines while producers are buried in red tape and abusive enforcement. We’re standing up for the people who feed America.”
The MOU formalizes collaboration between USDA and SBA’s Office of the National Ombudsman. It enables the resolution of complaints involving other federal regulatory agencies submitted through the USDA Lawfare Portal – in addition to analyzing resulting data to identify patterns for potential deregulation and accountability. — Story contributed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture