Nominee Rollins Appears Before Senate Ag

This week, President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Agriculture appeared for questioning by the Senate Agriculture Committee. 

Questions on plans for deporting undocumented immigrants and Trump’s tariff plans were popular topics. 

Senator Richard Durbin, D- Illinois: “But when we are talking mass deportation we have gone beyond dangerous criminals. I’m just wondering if we should be giving fair warning to farmers and ranchers across America that if you have immigrant labor, you can expect government agents to come and inspect your property. Is that in the future for farmers and ranchers under the mass deportation plan?”

Brooke Rollins, Nominee for Secretary of Agriculture: “Sir, I have not been involved in that, the President’s current plan, that one way or the other. I do know that my job, as those conversations are ongoing, if confirmed, that I am part of that data collection and understanding, and that the President understands what this means to the agriculture community, and I believe, sincerely, that he will execute his agenda, that he has promised the American people, but will never forget the ag community in so doing.” 

Senator Tommy Tubberville, R - Alabama: “There’s a $45 Billion dollar trade deficit in ag. $45 Billion! And the only way to get commodity prices back up is to handle that trade deficit. So, that being said, we need dialogue. If confirmed, will you commit to doing dialogue with President Trump, and the people around ag, to get our farmers to have an opportunity to ger a better price for their crops?

Brooke Rollins, Nominee for Secretary of Agriculture: “Yes, I will, Senator, and I so look forward to that opportunity. I think one of the things I read recently is that only 43% of our ag producers are net positive, net income positive. That is unsustainable. We have to find a better way, and it can’t always come through government subsidies. We’ve got to expand the market, we’ve got to figure out input costs. One of President Trump’s top priorities was food inflation, well, this comes before food inflation because this itself will drive the cost of food down if we do our jobs and we are able to produce for our ag community the way I believe, Coach, that we can, working together.”

Senator Elissa Slotkin, D- Michigan: “And when you get confirmed, and it looks like you will, you will swear an oath to the Constitution of the United States, not to President Trump. So can you say, I know you’ve said it, but for the Michiganders watching, that you will throw your body in front of the bus, to make sure that any political talking point on tariffs that may sound good, has been truly tested against how it will impact our farmers, like it was not last time around.”

Brooke Rollins, Nominee for Secretary of Agriculture: “Senator, I appreciate your passion. I share it, and I think we are similar in a lot of ways. Yes, my commitment is that there will be no sleeping, that we will work around the clock, to ensure that the ag communities across the country are represented in those discussions at the table, and I will do everything in my power, elevate, preserve, honor, conserve that backbone of America.” 

For Market to Market, I’m Peter Tubbs.