Brooke Rollins will appear in front of the Senate Agriculture Committee on Jan. 23
Following a delay related to background checks and paperwork, President-elect Trump’s pick to lead the USDA will have her day in front of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Brooke Rollins will answer questions from committee members on Jan. 23 beginning at 10:00 a.m., the Senate calendar says.
Once the committee reviews the nomination, senators send the nomination to the full Senate with recommendations to approve, not approve, or with no recommendation.
Rollins has received widespread support from the ag community
More than 400 industry groups signed a letter addressed to Ag Committee Chair Sen. John Boozman and Ranking Member Sen. Amy Klobuchar in favor of the nomination.
Growing up on a farm, working as a policy director and serving as director of the United States Domestic Policy Council during President Trump’s first term, and forming the America First Policy Institute, are some of the experiences she’d bring to USDA.
“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 Jan. 15 letter says, adding that at this critical time for American ag, her confirmation must come quickly.
A swift confirmation for Rollins would be a significant change compared to President-elect Trump’s first term.
He nominated Sonny Perdue to be secretary of agriculture on Jan. 19, 2017. Perdue received confirmation 95 days later on April 24.
Farms.com has contacted the American Farm Bureau Federation for comment on what issues it would like to hear Rollins address during her confirmation hearing.
The president-elect has also started to build the rest of his USDA team.
Luke Lindberg, the current president and CEO of South Dakota Trade, is nominated to be the undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs.
Dudley Hoskins, a current member of the Senate Ag Committee, is the president’s pick to be the undersecretary for marketing and regulator program.
Michael Boren, founder of Clearwater Analytics, is nominated for the position of undersecretary for natural resources and environment in the USDA.
And Richard Fordyce, who served as administrator of the Farm Service Agency during Trump’s first term, will be the undersecretary for farm production and conservation.