Tom Vilsack

We're positioning U.S.

dairy stakeholders will have to all agree on one dairy pricing plan before opening a hearing.

we have also provided $100 million of what we refer to as reach and resiliency resources for food banks across the country

I appreciate the opportunity to be here today, and also to Representative Thompson, thank you for the opportunity to appear before the Committee.

I think there is still an opportunity and a hope that there is enough bipartisan support to get this passed.

The answer to that question is yes.

It is absolutely vital. It is absolutely essential, and I would say it is going to require some political encouragement.

I want to focus on the phrase, extraction economy.

The key here, Representative, is to make sure that we get it done as quickly as possible.

The time for that is over. The time for-- especially with labor shortages.

That is absolutely one of the priorities and one of the areas that we are focused on.

we are looking forward at some point in time early in 2022 in announcing a Healthy Food Financing Initiative

U.S. agriculture secretary, former Iowa governor, Tom Vilsack, is planning to visit the picket line at the John Deere plant north of Des Moines in Iowa.

In the pandemic, we found that our food system and our food supply system, while it is incredibly efficient, is not resilient.

Under the President's leadership, America is getting back on track.

This is the first time in 45 years that this fundamental basis of the SNAP program has been reviewed.

We must seize this moment to reimagine and rebuild a new American economy.

Currently, the FSA offices are 75 percent capacity.

I think price discovery is important.

We do need the support and help that is, I think, inherent in the American Jobs Plan that would provide significantly greater resources.

We are trying to provide as much help as possible to as many people as possible.

I think it is a good proposal. I think it is part of what needs to be done.

We are going to have additional announcements.

the U.S. department of agriculture was set to payoff farm loans of nearly 13,000 black, Hispanic, indigenous and other ranchers.

This is a major civil rights victory.