Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested Saturday that he would partially relocate the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to Iowa if elected president.
DeSantis announced the potential policy as part of his federal agency relocation plan after completing campaign stops in all 99 Iowa counties as part of his “Full Grassley” tour, according to the Des Moines Register.
“We have to take power out of Washington, D.C., and send it to other parts of the country,” DeSantis said. “I’m going to order all of our cabinet secretaries to reduce their agency’s footprint in Washington, D.C., by at least 50%.”
BREAKING: @RonDeSantis promises to move the Department of Agriculture to Iowa. pic.twitter.com/jW9kGQV4xx
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) December 2, 2023
DeSantis told his Iowa audience that the state has “first dibs” on the USDA, which he said is currently interfering with Iowa farmers, the outlet reported.
“A number of people say they don’t like USDA Washington bureaucrats interfering with how people are farming, and they would much rather have this agency be run with people from their own communities,” DeSantis said. (RELATED: ‘Not Over Until It’s Over’: Can DeSantis Make A Comeback Before the First Votes Are Cast?)
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds called the 2024 Republican challenger’s plan “a great idea,” according to the outlet. She said, “Theres no better place to put USDA, because there’s no one who knows farming better than Iowans.” Reynolds endorsed DeSantis for president in 2024 earlier this month.
The “Full Grassley” tour was coined by Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, according to the outlet. Grassley visits every Iowa county each year.