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With an industry that is seemingly on the brink of a crisis, a coalition of more than 400 of U.S. farm, agricultural and grower groups sent a letter to Washington imploring Senate members to confirm Brooke Rollins as the next USDA secretary.
The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee has set Rollins’ confirmation hearing for Jan. 23. Strong opposition to President-elect Trump’s pick isn’t expected, and if confirmed she will become the 33rd U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, succeeding Tom Vilsack.
The coalition includes farmers, ranchers, growers, hunters, forest owners, conservationists, cooperatives, state departments of agriculture, renewable fuel producers and agribusinesses across the U.S.
Among those on the list are the National Association of Conservation Districts, The Conservation Fund, Association of Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and prominent agricultural companies such as Bayer, Nutrien and Pivot Bio.
Several governors have also been outspoken in supporting Rollins, who spent her early years baling hay and raising livestock in Glen Rose, Texas. She spent summers working on her family’s farm in Minnesota and participated in all levels of 4-H and FFA.
“She continues to raise livestock today and is now passing her passion for agriculture on to her children, who are also involved in FFA and showing steers,” says the Jan. 16 letter to Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn).
Rollins attended Texas A&M University, where she received her Bachelor of Science in agricultural development on scholarship. She served as deputy general counsel and policy director for former Texas Governor Rick Perry, and “championed rural priorities” across the federal government as President Trump’s former Director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council.
Rollins currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI). Rollins and her husband, Mark, currently reside in Fort Worth, Texas and spend a large majority of their free time taxiing their four children to baseball games, cattle shows, piano lessons, and Aggie football games.
“Throughout her career, she has brought the perspectives of the American farmer and rancher to her work,” the letter says. “In addition, her experience as an executive, building and running two large public policy organizations, has prepared her to provide effective executive leadership for USDA’s important, wide-ranging activities and large workforce.
“Her close working relationship with incoming President Trump will ensure that agriculture and rural America have a prominent and influential voice at the table when critical decisions are made in the White House.”
The massive coalition noted a quick nomination was important in light of “many difficulties” facing farmers and rural America. Efforts to extend the expired Farm Bill one year have stalled, and economic challenges persist.
“We need her leadership now at USDA to advocate for a new farm bill, stabilize an agricultural economy in decline, support the full food and agriculture and forestry value chain, and continue American agriculture’s long history of providing the most secure, affordable and nutritious food supply in the world,” the letter says.
