Senate ag committee unanimously advances Rollins nominationSenate ag committee unanimously advances Rollins nomination

Secretary of agriculture nominee set for Senate confirmation.

Joshua Baethge, Policy editor

February 4, 2025

2 Min Read
Brooke Rollins greets Sen. Cory Booker before her Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee confirmation hearing.
Getty Images/Kayla Bartkowski

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry voted 23-0 in favor of advancing Brooke Rollins’ nomination for secretary of agriculture. She must now clear a full Senate vote before officially being installed at USDA.

Baring any last-minutes surprises, Rollins is expected to easily receive enough votes.

“Thank you to the entire United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry for their 23-0 support of my nomination to be the next U.S. Secretary of Agriculture,” Rollins said in a social media post shortly after the vote. “I’m grateful for Chairman Boozman and Ranking Member Klobuchar’s leadership in advancing my nomination, and I’m eager for full Senate consideration.”

She went on to thank President Trump for his confidence in her and, what she says, is his unwavering commitment to American farmers and agricultural communities. She promised to immediately get to work defending American farmers and ranchers, adding she could think of “no greater honor.”

View post on X

Before her nomination, Rollins was relatively unknown outside of political circles. Since then, lawmakers have generally praised her for her agricultural roots and the trust they believe Trump has in her.

During her confirmation hearing, Rollins vowed to quickly distribute disaster aid, address animal disease outbreaks, modernize USDA and ensure prosperous rural communities. Regarding Trump’s tariff proposals, Rollins said she would follow a plan similar to former Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.

Related:Congress entreats USDA to protect chicken exports as part of bird flu strategy

Purdue helped facilitate approximately $23 billion in emergency funding for farmers to partially offset the impact of tariffs Trump imposed on China during his first administration.

Notably, Rollins sidestepped questions regarding the impact of Trump immigration policies on farmers or if she would cut nutrition program funding. She also avoided questions regarding her support for capping crop insurance payments or if she intended to consider USDA’s equity commission recommendations.

The equity commission page on USDA’s website disappeared in recent weeks and is no longer accessible to the general public.

Based on the committee’s unanimous vote, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle were mostly satisfied with Rollins’ responses. In a statement following the vote, Senate Ag Committee Chairman John Boozman, R- Ark., called her a dedicated public servant who will bring her lifelong commitment advocating for rural America to USDA. He has consistently praised Rollins, citing her “love and understanding” of rural America.

Related:Senate confirms Brooke Rollins to lead USDA

“She has proven her understanding of the unique circumstances farm families face, the current challenges in rural communities and how she can improve policies to protect agriculture producers,” Boozman says. “I appreciate her willingness to serve and encourage my colleagues to quickly confirm her so USDA will be guided by her dependable leadership.”

About the Author

Joshua Baethge

Policy editor, Farm Progress

Joshua Baethge covers a wide range of government issues affecting agriculture. Before joining Farm Progress, he spent 10 years as a news and feature reporter in Texas. During that time, he covered multiple state and local government entities, while also writing about real estate, nightlife, culture and whatever else was the news of the day.

Baethge earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of North Texas. In his free time, he enjoys going to concerts, discovering new restaurants, finding excuses to be outside and traveling as much as possible. He is based in the Dallas area where he lives with his wife and two kids.

Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Feedstuffs is the news source for animal agriculture

You May Also Like