Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow and Ranking Member John Boozman announced that the Senate confirmed Robert Bonnie to a USDA Undersecretary position. The 76-19 vote in favor of the nominee means that Bonnie is the new Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation.
Stabenow says, “Democrats and Republicans praise Mr. Bonnie’s extensive credentials and commitments to tackling the climate crisis and boosting farm income at the same time.”
Commodity groups like the National Corn Growers Association say Mr. Bonnie has an important role with the USDA. NCGA president Chris Edgington says, “As production agriculture faces multiple challenges, Mr. Bonnie will play an important role in responding to farmer needs.” His previous experience as a USDA Undersecretary is important when it comes to working with a variety of stakeholders and overseeing important USDA agencies. Bonnie’s experience, bipartisanship commitment, and ongoing work with farmers, ranchers, and conservationists are reasons the NCGA says it’s looking forward to working with Bonnie.
The National Association of Farm Broadcasting and the American Farm Bureau Federation contributed to this report.