NORTHAMPTON — Local farms losing funding for efforts to help get produce to schools and protect the environment, and the University of Massachusetts having National Institutes of Health grants stripped away are among the consequences of the Trump administration’s actions, Massachusetts Senate leaders say.

To find ways to counter policy coming out of Washington D.C. that is viewed as unfavorable to those who live, work and are educated in Massachusetts, Sen. Jo Comerford is taking a leadership role as vice chair of Response 2025, a panel she anticipates will be “nimble and effective” in meeting the critical moment, much like what happened during the pandemic when the COVID-19 Senate Working Group was formed.

“Together, we will be able to move more quickly to get good bills out,” Comerford, D-Northampton, said in a phone interview Friday. “We need the Senate to move quickly to be responsive, for senators to talk to each other and work with each other more effectively.”

She likened this to preparing for the pandemic, the first Trump administration and various Supreme Court decisions, which led to legislation protecting reproductive freedom and gender-affirming care, and dealing with racial inequities in maternal health.

Comerford said she anticipates that recommendations will be made after building consensus among legislators.

“We want to defend human rights, we want to defend health care, we want there to be education protections,” Comerford said. “What do we need to do to prioritize that?”

Response 2025 was announced last week by Senate President Karen E. Spilka, D-Ashland, describing it as aiming to safeguard Massachusetts residents from threats to critical programs and institutions, to protect the state’s economy and operations, and to defend the state’s values, in what is anticipated to be a difficult time.

The initiative will be spearheaded by the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy, which is chaired by Sen. Cindy F. Friedman, D-Arlington, and vice chaired by Comerford, and will work closely with Senate committee chairs and policy experts.

“Governing through the Trump era will not be for the faint of heart,” Comerford said, pointing to “changing funding scenarios, changing geopolitical scenarios [and] tariffs.”

Response 2025 has four goals, which are:

■Assessing federal actions and determining their real-world impacts across Massachusetts.

■Identifying policy solutions to mitigate harm.

■Prioritizing state responses based on need, feasibility and effectiveness.

■Providing clarity to the public by cutting through misinformation and helping residents understand the state’s role in protecting rights and services.

Comerford said she doesn’t intend to sugarcoat and is blunt about what Massachusetts is facing from Washington D.C., and how things will become even more difficult for cities and towns.

“It’s pretty perilous, honestly,” she said. “I can’t understate the danger of this time.”

In announcing the initiative, Spilka said the Massachusetts Senate is asserting its commitment to protecting residents, defending the state’s values, and leading Massachusetts through the uncertainty of federal action and the “reckless and cruel actions of the current administration.”

“We are watching the systematic erosion of programs, supports and institutions that are critical to the well-being of our residents, the health of our economy and the effective operations of our state, which is consistently ranked high on quality-of-life metrics like education, public safety, health care and veterans’ services, among many things,” Spilka said.

Friedman observes what she calls the chaos of the Trump administration depriving residents of stability, instead instilling fear through funding cuts, policy changes and raids led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Our constituents deserve action, and the Massachusetts Senate today begins deploying a targeted, comprehensive set of efforts that will protect our residents, defend our values and lead our commonwealth through this turbulent time,” Friedman said.

“At this moment of great peril for our nation, states like Massachusetts can and should provide lines of defense for our residents,” Comerford said. “Each day brings more federal attacks on the well-being of our constituents. The Senate is fighting back.”

The Senate Committee on Steering and Policy will soon begin meeting with Senate committee chairs to outline the next steps and priorities. By having this formal response to federal action, those who chair committees will be able to address concerns about Trump administration policies, while still working on policy meant to move Massachusetts forward.

Comerford anticipates that Response 2025 will mean an increase in her workload, but that she is able to see things structurally, is prepared to always respond to the needs of her constituents and is ready to do the work with her colleagues.

“We are 40 senators, there are millions of people across the commonwealth, and our job is to protect them all,” Comerford said.