Stanching the farming industry’s economic losses and addressing the spread of bird flu and other animal diseases are top of mind for Brooke Rollins, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Rollins, a former White House aide and CEO of the think tank America First Policy Institute, laid out her vision for the department in a Thursday confirmation hearing, including an outline of her top four priorities for “day one” at the USDA. She also fielded questions from senators in a three-hour hearing on how she would tackle a variety of issues ranging from the U.S. trade deficit to Trump’s planned crackdown on immigration.
Rollins has faced criticism for her lack of agriculture experience, which food system advocates say is needed to address nutrition, climate change and other major issues facing the sector. Even with limited industry experience, however, senators during the hearing presented her close relationship with Trump as a potential pathway to make serious headway on farm discussions around trade and labor.
Here are some of the key highlights from Rollins’ confirmation hearing.
4 priorities for ‘day one’ at USDA
Trump’s nominee said she would immediately get to work addressing an economic downturn in farming, adding that she hopes to “rethink” and “modernize” the USDA in line with the president’s plan to make sweeping changes to federal agencies.
Rollins said she would have four immediate priorities if confirmed as USDA secretary, starting with “a fast and furious effort” to distribute the $10 billion in economic aid approved in December.
“First, we must ensure that the disaster and economic assistance authorized by Congress is deployed as quickly and as efficiently as possible,” she said in opening remarks.
Rollins also said she will tackle the spread of animal diseases, including bird flu, which has roiled U.S. poultry flocks and significantly raised the price of eggs. Bird flu in dairy cows and the recent discovery of New World screwworm in Mexico are also top of mind, and Rollins said she would “immediately and comprehensively get a handle on the state of animal disease outbreaks.”
Rollins said she will also “immediately begin to modernize, realign, rethink the United States Department of Agriculture,” including the end of remote work for federal workers. Trump has already begun making deep cuts to the federal workforce, making repeated attacks on what he calls “rogue bureaucrats” and promising to “dismantle the deep state.”
While Rollins did not overtly detail what a “rethink” of the USDA would mean, senators during the hearing expressed concerns of potential budget cuts in areas like rural development, nutrition and sustainable agriculture. Rollins noted that she plans to eliminate “burdensome and costly regulations that hamper innovation” while ensuring nutrition programs are “effective and efficient.”
Rollins said her final priority is ensuring the long-term success of rural communities and the agriculture industry at large, including through expanded trade markets and ensuring that the next generation of farmers can thrive.
“We understand that serving all American agriculture and all the American people means ensuring that our rural communities are equipped and supported to prosper, not just today, but tomorrow and the day after that in the many tomorrows to come,” she said.
Trade aid, H-2A reform: How Rollins would address trade, immigration
Rollins faced tough questions from senators around some of Trump’s most controversial plans to crack down on immigration and impose tariffs on countries such as Mexico, Canada and China.
Trump’s rhetoric on immigration and trade have set off alarm bells among farmers, who worry the president’s planned policies could compound recent economic declines. A second trade war could severely limit markets for exporters, while mass deportations threaten to further shrink available workers for farms that are already struggling with severe labor shortages.
While Rollins did not explicitly break with Trump on trade or immigration, she vowed to take steps to ensure the fallout to farmers would be limited.
On trade, Rollins said she is prepared to set up another farm bailout program to offset trade losses for farmers similar to what occurred during Trump’s first term. Following retaliatory tariffs from top agricultural buyer China and other trade allies, the president distributed $23 billion in trade aid to farmers to help make up holes in the market.
Trump “understands the potential devastating impact to our farmers and our ranchers” from new tariffs, Rollins said, adding she would work to expand new export markets and work with the White House to “ensure that we can close those holes for our farmers and ranchers moving forward under any sort of tariff execution.”
When it comes to immigration, Rollins said that she would advocate for farmer interests even as she supports Trump’s plan to commence mass deportations of millions of immigrants. Trump has already begun arrests across the country, targeting immigrants with criminal records.
Farms have expressed concerns that mass deportations could disproportionally affect the agriculture industry, where around 40% of workers are considered undocumented. A severe shortage of farmworkers has already prevented many operations from fully harvesting all their crops, and farmers worry that the further loss of workers could put them out of business.
Rollins expressed hope that Trump’s pick for Labor Secretary, Oregon U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, would allow for reform in the H-2A visa program. Farmers have said updates to the program, which helps fill agricultural labor gaps, are sorely needed to address burdensome regulations and higher costs.
While Rollins said she would work to ensure that farms don’t go out of business from an immigration crackdown, she did not break with the president on his plans for immigration.
“The President’s vision of a secure border and a mass deportation at a scale that matters is something I support,” Rollins said. “My commitment is to help President Trump deploy his agenda in an effective way.”