The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry has advanced the nomination of Alexis Taylor as the next Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In a hearing earlier in the week, the Committee held a vote on several nominees for agricultural positions in the Biden administration. Having received significant support when she was nominated, agricultural organizations are again calling for swift confirmation.
“It’s encouraging to see the nomination of Alexis Taylor move through the Senate Ag Committee in a bipartisan manner. Our farmers, ranchers and processors rely on overseas market to successfully run their operations,” said Brian Kuehl, Executive Director of Farmers for Free Trade. “It is imperative that we have a full team of negotiators on the field to bolster American exports and having Alexis Taylor as Undersecretary of Ag Trade at USDA is essential to doing that. The full Senate should move her nomination forward as soon as possible.”
Taylor’s extensive agricultural background and previous role within USDA have been focal points for the ag industry’s support of her nomination. Taylor had told the Committee during her nomination hearing last week that “ag is not just what I do, but who I am.” Groups including the U.S. Dairy Export Council, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, and U.S. Wheat Associates have all been encouraged by her nomination.
“USMEF thanks the Senate Agriculture Committee for advancing the nomination of Alexis Taylor, an outstanding nominee who has strong, bipartisan support on Capitol Hill,” U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom said in a press release. “USMEF had many opportunities to work with Ms. Taylor in her previous roles at USDA and we are confident she will continue to be a strong and effective voice for U.S. agriculture. We fully support her prompt confirmation by the Senate.”
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