at the ?niteh girder; 4301 213515 January 23, 2019 The Honorable Sonny Perdue Secretary of Agriculture US. Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Avenue Washington, DC. 20250 Dear Secretary Perdue, We write to you to express concern about actions taken by the US. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to revoke guidance welcoming lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth into the 4-H organization. Previous public facing documents, entitled Guidance for Inclusion of All Gender Identities, Gender Expressions, Sexual Orientation, and Sexes,? stated that the organization was ?committed to being inclusive and welcoming of all forms of diversity.? These are goals that we support and believe would bene?t all 4-H participants. Reports indicate that a former USDA senior of?cial directed the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to rescind guidance developed by 4-H staff which outlined how the organization could best support youth. Disruptive actions like this send a clear and harmful message to the over six million 4-H members that youth are not welcome in the organization. As Members of Congress who support the community and youth development programs like 4-H, we believe these actions represent inappropriate USDA overreach into inclusivity efforts and are detrimental to current and future participants. To better understand Why this action was taken, we respectfully request answers to the following questions: 1. Did you, in your role as Secretary of Agriculture, direct this action? If not, who at USDA directed the rescission of this guidance? 2. When were you ?rst made aware of this decision? 3. What was the impetus for rescinding this published guidance? 4. What internal process did USDA follow prior to asking NIFA and to rescind this guidance? What is stance on the participation of youth in 6. Would USDA be supportive of issuing nationwide nondiscrimination guidance that is similar to the document titled Guidance for Inclusion of All Gender Identities, Gender Expressions, Sexual Orientation, and Sexes? which was previously rescinded? USDA has a strong history of supporting the next generation of agriculturalists and community leaders through youth pro gramming. Your department has the opportunity to continue that work PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER for the youth currently participating in 4-H across the country. However, these actions by USDA run counter to that goal, and they must be reversed. We believe that USDA leadership should be working to support youth in 4-H instead of removing guidance that welcomes their involvement and ensures their protection. We look forward to receiving your responses within 90 days from the date of this letter and working together to ensure that all youth, including those id tifying as are accepted in 4-H. Sincerely, Mr: - Bull i ?ayta Cheri Bustos her 0 Congress Member of Congress ?aw?mm Wow Sean Patrick Maloney? Member of Congress Member of Congress W7 .71? Chellie Pingree Eleanor Holmes Norton Member of Congress Member of Congress ., . mmy Gomez Ann McLane Kuster Me of Congress Member of Congress Seth Moulton Marcia L. Fudge Member of Congress Member of Congress 0% I . Ml . Mark Takano Tom O'Halleran Member of Congress Member of Congress Bonnie Watson Coleman Member of Congress Dan Kildee Member of Congress OW Peter Welch Member of Congress $3 Brian Higgins Member 0 Congress Salud Carbajal Member of Congress Scott Peters Member of Congress ?Wa' Tulsi Gabbard Member of Congress R0 Khanna Member of Congress mt (Sax? osth P. Kennedy, 111 Member of Congress 0 amie Raskin Member of Congress er exton Member of CongreSs Anthony G. Brown ber of Congress Cindy Axne Member of Congress TJ Cox Member of Congress in?l: Eshoo?H Anna G. Eshoo Member of Congress rank Pallone, Jr. Member of Congress rm ce F. Napolitano ember of Congress 4% Andy Levin Member of Congress . . 1/ ac 1e Speler Me ber of Congress Rosa L. DeLauro Member of Congress %e Lofgren? '2 Member of Congress muck P. Mchvern ber of Congress Abby Cinkenauer Member of Congress 1 Away lcee L. Ha'stings ember Of Congress Tim Ryan I Member of Congress 7M gm Henry C. ?Harrf6 Johnson, Jr. I Member of Congress Katie PorEer . Member of Congress Danny K. Davis Member of Con Chris Pappas Member of Congress avid N. Cicilline Member of Congress Mike Qli?rg' ?er I Member of Congress 765-? Alan Lowenthal Adriano Espaillat Member of Congress Member of Congress AJWW Debbie Wasserman Schultz Ra?l Ma Member of Congress Member of Congress (Lei ilemon Vela Dave Loebsack Member of Congress Member of Congress I I . 9? Charlie Crist Linda T. S?nchez Member of Congress Member of Congress Earl Blumenauer ja 'shn .oorthi Member of Congress Member of C(ingress Angie Craig Frederica S. Wilson Member of Congress Member of Congress iylia ownley . Lucily - Mernb?er of Congress Member of Congress Sheila Jackson LVC Member of Congress Deb Haaland Member of Congress Katie Hill Member of Congress A1 Lawson Member of os Serrano ber of Congress o?avid Scott Member of Congress ilmer ember of Congress Ann ?hkpat?k i Member of Congress 1d Nadler ember of Congress Robert C. ?Bobby? Scott Member of Congress Betty Meg alum Member of Congress Alma Adams Member of Congress Mary Gay Sganlonv Member of Congress