The Senate on Thursday confirmed Brooke Rollins to be Agriculture secretary by a vote of 72-28, giving her the reins of a department trying to distribute $10 billion in recently appropriated farm aid and tackle the bird flu outbreak.
“America’s farmers, ranchers and foresters need a leader at USDA who will be an advocate for their livelihoods and rural America and be a strong voice to address the pressing needs of our agriculture community,” Senate Agriculture Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., said on the floor Thursday.
“Brooke Rollins is that person,” he said.
Rollins was a senior aide for President Donald Trump during his first administration. She is currently president and CEO of the conservative think tank America First Policy Institute. The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced her nomination, 23-0, despite reservations from Democrats.
Rollins vowed to distribute the $10 billion in federal economic assistance to farmers as one of her first acts. She told the Senate Agriculture Committee at her January confirmation hearing that her first 100 days “will be a fast and furious effort” to deploy that aid.
Congress appropriated $10 billion in economic aid to farmers in the continuing resolution that funds the government until March 14.
“She understands the significant responsibility of this role during one of the most economically challenging times for agriculture producers,” Boozman said. “Hardworking farmers who grow our food are struggling to operate, let alone profit, in this current economic climate.”
Farm income is forecast to increase in 2025 after two years of decline, the Agriculture Department predicts. The USDA forecasts farm income at $180.1 billion for 2025, a net increase of $41 billion, or nearly 30 percent. The department says direct government farm payments are forecast at $42.4 billion for 2025, a $33.1 billion increase from 2024.
House Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., applauded Rollins’s confirmation.
“She is taking the helm of USDA at a critical juncture for our producers, and her experience and commitment to agriculture will be invaluable as we work together to strengthen the farm economy,” Thompson said in a statement.
Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., the new House Agriculture ranking member, said she was hoping to work with Rollins on a litany of issues.
“Family farmers are struggling with high input costs and low prices; tariffs are being proposed that will raise costs on American producers and American consumers; the agricultural workforce is being threatened; and Congress is behind schedule in passing a new, bipartisan farm bill,” Craig said in a statement.
“If we want to tackle these challenges in a way that supports family farmers and the communities they feed, we will need to work together,” Craig said.
Rollins said managing animal disease is among her top priorities. She takes office amid a bird flu outbreak that’s hurting dairy and poultry producers. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reports that over 23 million birds have been confirmed to be on premises where the disease is present in the last 30 days.
The impact of the outbreak has trickled down to consumers. Egg prices skyrocketed from a low of $2.04 in August 2023 to $4.95 for a dozen large grade A eggs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The virus is often fatal to birds.
Dairy cattle are also impacted by the bird flu outbreak, though most cattle recover, the American Veterinary Medical Association says. APHIS has confirmed 968 cases of bird flu in cattle in 16 states.
Rollins said at her hearing that she is preparing to tackle bird flu: “We are hyper focused on finding the team right now.”
“I have obviously respected the process and not gotten too involved, but I know that the current team and the future team will be working hand in hand to do everything we can on animal disease,” Rollins said, adding that her background working in state policy will help her tackle the issue. She was policy director for former Texas Governor Rick Perry.
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