Brooke Rollins confirmed as Trump’s agricultural secretary

Washington (AP) – Conservative lawyer Brooke Rollins was confirmed on Thursday as agricultural secretary and placed a close ally of president Donald Trump into a key cabinet position at a time when mass porting plans can lead to agricultural deficiency and Tariffs could hit agricultural exports.

Rollins, who served as head of domestic politics during Trump’s first administration, was confirmed overwhelming by the Senate in a 72-28 vote.

Rollins will now conduct a department that is tasked with overseeing almost every aspect of the country’s food system, including standards for agricultural practice and livestock farming, federal subsidies for farmers or agribusinesses and putting nutrition standards for schools and public health officials nationwide.

The Department of Agriculture was at the center of Trump’s trade war in his last administration, as the increased subsidies for farmers grew the nation’s two largest crops, maize and soybeans after the charging guards were charged by China in the grains and international markets. The United States is the world’s largest food exporter.

In her Senate Confirmation Hearing, Rollins acknowledged that Trump’s plans for massage portion of people in the country could illegally led to farm Work shortage. Growers of some vegetables and crops, such as apples as well as dairy operations, are especially dependent on migrant labor.

But Rollins said Americans support Trump’s plans and that she would work to help the president and at the same time try to protect farmers.

“The president’s vision of a safe border and a mass portion on a scale that matters is something I support,” Rollins said.

Rollins is a conservative legal activist and public policy analyst who last served as president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-adapted think tank that developed politics and cultivated a network of staff for the second Trump administration.

Other AFPI -Alumner in the administration includes the group’s chair, Linda McMahonthat was tapped to lead the educational department, General Attorney Pam BondiHousing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner And veteran affairs secretary Doug Collins, among others.

Rollins served as acting director of the White House Domestic Political Council during Trump’s first period, monitoring a portfolio that included agricultural policy. She also served as president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank.

Rollins’ nomination was unanimously approved by the Senate Agricultural Committee. Senator Jim Justice, Rw.va., called Rollins a “superstar”, while Rollins’ home state senators, Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, testified on her behalf prior to her confirmation hearing.

Rollins promised to “modernize” USDA in line with Trump’s vision for the department, which included faster procession of disaster relief for farmers and tackle animal disease. She also promised to “immediately begin to modernize, adapt, consider the US Ministry of Agriculture” on policies such as remote work, in line with the wider attitude of Trump administration.

Democrats expressed concern that federal financing freezes had disturbed assistance to farmers and country support universities and pressed Rollins about how her support for agricultural society can merge with Trump’s immigration and trading agenda.

Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-minn., The ranked member of the Agricultural Committee, pressed Rollins about how she would respond to retaliatory gum on US crops, considering Trump’s previous trade war.

“In addition to just getting extra payments to compensate for it, will you be a voice to ensure that people understand the importance of rural exports? And it’s not just agriculture, but manufacture and the like, ”Klobuchar asked.

Rollins promised that her team “would be at the table fighting for what we think is necessary for these communities.

“Of all the portfolio that, if I am confirmed, assumes me, the one who excites me the most is the opportunity to put forward a vision and build a program about revived, restore and bring back rural America,” Rollins said. She warned that “it is clear that the federal government itself cannot do so,” but said that an “all approach” would be necessary to help rural areas.

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McFetridge reported from Des Moines, Iowa.