vilsack

Senate Confirms Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture

Clint Thompson General

tom vilsack
Tom Vilsack

The U.S. Senate finally approved Tom Vilsack to be the next Secretary of Agriculture in a 92-7 vote. A former governor of Iowa, Vilsack also served two terms as Ag Secretary in the Obama Administration. He was the 30th Secretary of Agriculture under President Obama and is now the 32nd after Tuesday’s Senate confirmation.

Before the vote, the Senate allowed 20 minutes of debate time but decided instead for short statements from Senate Agriculture Committee leadership. Here is Senate Agriculture Chair Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.

Ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, John Boozman of Arkansas, also had this to say.

Vilsack returns to USDA after serving most recently as President and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council.