Tom Vilsack Nominee – Currently: Sonny Perdue
The Trump administration has authorized tens of billions of dollars in direct payments to American ranchers and commodity row crop farmers. Federal payments to farmers hit a record $46 billion in 2020, with trade mitigation payments and pandemic relief flowing swiftly to President Trump’s rural base in the South and Midwest. Trump’s other signature USDA initiatives have been regulatory policies aimed at reducing the number of Americans eligible for food assistance.
It is likely Biden would reverse erosions of SNAP and other food assistance programs, as well as restoring more rigorous school nutrition standards that were the centerpiece of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! effort. Biden has said he would support beginning farmers, pursue “smarter pro-worker and pro-family-farmer…policies,” and reward sustainable farming practices that reduce atmospheric carbon.
Tom Vilsack
Former agriculture secretary and Iowa governor
During the Biden campaign, former Iowa governor Vilsack was a top rural and agriculture policy adviser. Since 2017, Vilsack has been chief executive of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, prompting some critics to argue he is too closely tied to agribusiness. Vilsack recently told The Post that climate change initiatives such as carbon credits provide a range of new revenue streams for American farmers as “more and more consumers and companies are interested in where their food comes from and how it’s being sustainably produced. Farmers are in a position to provide help and assistance, but they shouldn’t be asked to foot the bill for this.” Fun fact: This year Vilsack was a $150,000 Powerball prize winner of the Iowa Lottery.
Source: Washington Post Reported by Laura Reiley and Seung Min Kim.
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