Every single child in this country, in a childcare facility, in a school, wherever they might find themselves to be, every single child, I think, has to have the opportunity to have access to nutritious, good, healthy food.
Tom Vilsack
The Public Record
Tom Vilsack is an American politician and attorney who has served as the United States Secretary of Agriculture since March 2021. He previously held the same position from January 2009 to January 2017 under President Barack Obama. Vilsack's tenure has focused on issues such as food security, rural development, and agricultural sustainability. He has been a prominent advocate for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and has emphasized the importance of supporting farmers and rural communities.
we want to focus on the 380-some counties where poverty has been persistent for over 30 years, persistent and consistent with Representative Clyburn's ideas.
I think we have the right vision. I think the vision that climate change creates opportunity, creates new profit centers for farmers can be embraced.
The ability to have FaceTime and Skype and the ability to see our children and our grandchildren, incredibly important.
We have to make sure we lift up the messaging in terms of American agriculture.
As I discussed with Representative Fortenberry, you know, this is about making sure that this broadband is actually usable.
You can have broadband, but if the downloads and upload speeds are not significant or are not sufficient, you can check the box, but you actually haven't improved the quality.
I am aware of the issues, Representative. I think it is important to point out that, the way these can be structured, there are very, very few--at the end of the day, very, very few farms that can be impacted and affected by this.
I think we do need to learn from the recent experience in COVID as to how we might be able to make the SNAP program and availability of benefits modernized and more convenient.
What we need is to make sure that we have people on those appeal boards at the county level and at the State level that also represent that diversity.
Some people look at things as they are and say, why? Others dream of things that never were and say, why not?
I certainly would make that commitment, Senator, and I share the President's vision of a net zero emission opportunity for U.S. agriculture.
I think it is fair to say there is a recognition that animal health and human health are connected...
I think one of the things that we could do and should do it is for the Secretary of Agriculture to reach out to the Attorney General.
I think there are ways in which we could also expand significantly processing opportunities in this country.
I would anticipate and expect that we would put together, for lack of a better term, an equity commission or a task force.
This industry has made great strides in becoming much more environmentally friendly than it was at the beginning.
I, if I am confirmed as Secretary, and the Under Secretary and the people who are responsible for administering these programs are held accountable.
We are going to look at every vehicle that we have, every capacity we have within USDA to make sure that we have open, fair, and transparent markets.
With your permission, I think there are many proposals contained in what you and Senator Braun and others have proposed that could be essentially implemented administratively.
I exercised the power to enhance the diversity in many of those county committees.
The Navy was basically, with their new Green Fleet, making a commitment to biofuels.
We need an alternative fuel source in addition to, add to, complement our efforts on the electric.





