(WASHINGTON D.C. ) – This week, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) announced the committee voted to advance the nominations of Judge Stephen Vaden to serve as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Tyler Clarkson to be General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture.
“This is a critical step to ensure USDA has the personnel to fulfill the president’s strategy to meet the needs of farm families, ranchers and rural communities. It’s important for the Senate to quickly confirm Judge Stephen Vaden and Tyler Clarkson so they can strengthen the department’s work in support of hardworking American producers.”
As former USDA General Counsel in the first Trump term and a US Court of International Trade judge, Vaden faced tough questions from Democrats at his Senate confirmation hearing. But the Tennessean, expected to play a big role in USDA’s day-to-day operations, was quick to push back on criticism of the president’s tariffs.
“If we’re going to be throwing punches on behalf of America’s economy, there are some punches that need to be thrown on behalf of American farmers, too,” said Vaden. “Because, while tariffs are the headline, what blocks so many American agricultural products from other countries are phony phytosanitary concerns.”
Vaden vowed to urge the president’s trade team to take the offense to open markets blocked to US farmers and to be in constant touch with ag lawmakers. When asked by top ag Democrat Amy Klobuchar if terms like ethanol, biofuels, and aviation fuel targeted on a leaked Ag Research Service memo should be considered “woke”. Vaden said, “Senator, I do not…and although it did not come up in my meeting with you, I discussed the department’s support for biofuels and sustainable or synthetic, whichever term you prefer to use, aviation fuel with your members…and I look forward to working with this committee on that.”
SOURCE: NAFB News Service, Matt Kaye/Berns Bureau, Senate Ag Press Release
