Some FSA offices to re-open during shutdown

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that some Farm Service Agency offices, including a few in north-central Montana, will re-open temporarily despite the government shutdown, now in its 26th day.

In almost half of FSA locations, FSA staff will be available to assist agricultural producers with existing farm loans and to ensure the agency provides 1099 tax documents to borrowers by the Internal Revenue Service’s deadline, a release from the Department of Agriculture said.

That includes offices in Blaine and Teton counties, although Chouteau, Hill and Liberty counties are not on the list provided by USDA of offices that will be opened.

USDA recalled about 2,500 FSA employees to open offices Thursday, Friday and Tuesday during normal business hours. The offices will be closed for the federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Monday.

“Until Congress sends President Trump an appropriations bill in the form that he will sign, we are doing our best to minimize the impact of the partial federal funding lapse on America’s agricultural producers,” Perdue said in the release. “We are bringing back part of our FSA team to help producers with existing farm loans. Meanwhile, we continue to examine our legal authorities to ensure we are providing services to our customers to the greatest extent possible during the shutdown.”

The shutdown started Dec. 21 due to a clash between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats over Trump’s proposal to spend $5.7 billion to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border to increase security.

Democrats, who control the House, refuse to fund the wall, saying it is unnecessary and would be ineffective and immoral. They instead propose funding for increased personnel and technology and other improvements to increase border security.

Trump refuses to approve government funding unless it includes paying for the wall. He has shown no sign of backing down from his request, and neither have congressional Democrats.

FSA offices closed after Dec. 28.

With the temporary staffing, the USDA release said, staff members will be available at certain FSA offices to help producers with specific services, including:

• Processing payments made on or before Dec. 31.

• Continuing expiring financing statements.

• Opening mail to identify priority items.

As an intermittent incidental duty, staff may release proceeds from the sale of loan security by signing checks jointly payable to FSA that are brought to the county office by producers, the release said.

Information on the locations of FSA offices to be open during this three-day window will be posted:

• On the USDA at https://bit.ly/2HgdC9k/.

• On Twitter at @SecretarySonny and @USDA.

• On USDA’s Facebook page.