The Office of Management and Budget has suggested deep cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget. It would mean cutting their staff by one fifth going from 15,000 employees to 12,000. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Vice President of Government Affairs Colin Woodall says if the agency’s staff were cut it might lead to them concentrating more on common sense rules rather than following activists agenda. He thinks that’s a real possibility with Scott Pruitt in charge.

He thinks President Trump as well as administrator Pruitt will move forward with a reduced staff.

Woodall says besides moving ahead with a streamlined staff, the next thing the agency will do is follow through with the directives of the latest executive order to rewrite WOTUS. He says that rewrite could end up benefitting agriculture.

Any of the budget cuts effecting the EPA would have to go through the Congressional appropriations process.