WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to combat lawfare targeting farmers, ranchers, rural communities, and small businesses. The agreement gives America’s producers a direct line to report the regulations and rules driving up costs and impacting productivity, while helping SBA and USDA identify broader patterns of regulatory abuse to advance lasting deregulatory reform. View photos from the MOU signing ceremony here.
“Farmers and ranchers do some of the hardest and most essential work in America, yet they have faced a growing burden from costly federal regulations – crushing generational businesses that lack the time, money, or legal resources to fight back,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “With our MOU, the SBA and USDA now offer America’s producers a direct line to report lawfare, with a new infrastructure to deliver lasting regulatory reform. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are eliminating barriers and supporting small businesses in their mission to keep America fed, clothed, and fueled.”
“Producers and ranchers who feed this nation should never face the full power of government alone,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. “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.”
Under the agreement, USDA will operate a centralized lawfare portal to receive complaints involving any federal agency and will share those submissions with SBA’s Office of the National Ombudsman for case management and coordination. Matters involving USDA will be handled through the Department’s designated channels, while complaints involving other federal agencies will be referred by SBA to the appropriate agencies for coordination and resolution.
The MOU also authorizes SBA to analyze complaint data to identify recurring lawfare practices and enforcement or regulatory issues that may be disproportionate, inconsistent, or abusive, helping inform potential deregulatory action for broader reform.
This partnership builds on broader Trump Administration regulatory relief efforts for rural America. This year, in partnership with SBA and USDA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), reaffirmed farmers’ right to repair – clarifying that manufacturers can no longer use the Clean Air Act to justify limiting access to repair tools or software. The SBA and USDA likewise supported EPA efforts to remove costly Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) sensor requirements for diesel equipment – in an action expected to save farmers $4.4 billion a year.
