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3mo ago

Brooke Rollins Confirmed as Agriculture Secretary in Bipartisan Senate Vote

The Senate approved Rollins, a longtime Trump ally and conservative policy advocate, to lead the USDA as it faces challenges in food aid, farm policy, and labor shortages.

Brooke Rollins attends a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee hearing on her nomination for Secretary of Agriculture, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Brooke Rollins attends a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee hearing on her nomination for Secretary of Agriculture, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Brooke Rollins appears before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry during a hearing to examine her nomination to be Secretary of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 23, 2025.
Brooke Rollins is sworn-in for a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee hearing on her nomination for Secretary of Agriculture, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Overview

  • The Senate voted 72-28 to confirm Brooke Rollins, marking her as the first Texan to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
  • Rollins, a former Trump domestic policy advisor and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, received bipartisan support after unanimous approval in committee.
  • Rollins is tasked with managing a $437 billion agency overseeing farm programs, food aid, school nutrition, and rural development, alongside addressing ongoing bird flu outbreaks and farm labor shortages.
  • During confirmation hearings, Rollins expressed support for stricter work requirements for food aid programs like SNAP and pledged to modernize USDA operations to align with Trump's policy goals.
  • Rollins will also play a key role in distributing $10 billion in federal farm aid and addressing delays in the reauthorization of the Farm Bill, which governs agricultural and food policy spending.