(NAFB.com) – Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member on the Senate Ag Committee, spoke during a Committee hearing on the proposed reorganization of the USDA. The hearing was scheduled on short notice because Klobuchar said, “The administration put together a half-baked plan with no notice and without consulting agricultural leaders.” During her statement, Klobuchar said she supports efforts to make USDA work better, but didn’t think that getting rid of 15,000 employees by firings or early buyouts was good for agriculture. “We have a half-baked agenda that will almost certainly result in worse services for farmers and families in rural communities,” Klobuchar said. “We already have 90 percent of USDA employees out in the field, but you guys plan on breaking down the other ten percent and sending them to different hubs.” She’s also extremely concerned that the reorganization proposal would have a negative impact on USDA’s research.