Senate Confirms USDA Trade Under Secretary Luke Lindberg: On Saturday, August 2, the full Senate voted to confirm Luke Lindberg to be the next U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs (TFAA). In this role, he will be responsible for advising Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and other USDA officials on trade issues, as well as running point for the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and U.S. Codex Office. Previously, he was the Chief Executive Officer of South Dakota Trade, a public–private partnership focused on expanding international market access for South Dakota’s agricultural exporters. He also served as Chief of Staff and Chief Strategy Officer at the U.S. Export-Import Bank during the first Trump Administration. Lindberg now joins Secretary Brooke Rollins, Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden, and General Counsel Tyler Clarkson as the only USDA nominees to clear the Senate confirmation process thus far. After the August Recess, the Senate will resume session and look to continue confirming USDA nominees that remain in the queue.

USDA Opens Public Comment Period on Department-Wide Reorganization Plan: On Friday, August 1, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the launch of a 30-day public comment period for stakeholders to share feedback regarding the Department's large-scale reorganization plan. This comes after the Secretary's memorandum on July 24, 2025, that outlined the intent and direction behind the Department's plan to relocate USDA employees within the Washington D.C. area across five regional hubs and the Senate Agriculture Committee's hearing featuring Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden's testimony on the matter. The comment period is open through August 26, 2025, and stakeholders interested in submitting comments can do so by emailing reorganization@usda.gov.

DOL Temporarily Suspends H-2A Certification Fee Collection: Last week, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced its intent to pause fee collections from employers using the H-2A farmworker visa program. DOL said the suspension is due to a transition to an electronic payment system. Current practices require employers who participate in H-2A to mail physical money orders and checks as payment. DOL collects up to $1,000 per temporary agricultural labor certification. DOL said it will use the suspension period to upgrade its technology and coordinate the new system with the Treasury Department. The suspension is supposed to be temporary, and its temporary status will go into effect 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register. The 30 days also allow for invoices with due dates before the suspension to be paid. You can find the official regulatory filing regarding the temporary suspension of H-2A fees here.