Iowa U.S. Senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, have both expressed concerns over the priorities being set by the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the direction of the Biden Administration. Grassley was in Jefferson Wednesday afternoon for a Q&A with Landus Cooperative employees and farmer-owners. The topic was brought up during the town hall-style meeting by a board member, and Grassley says the USDA appears to be shifting away from its goal of assisting agricultural producers and rural communities.
Grassley adds it is not clear yet what form those actions might take, but as a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, it is something he will be watching very closely. Grassley says the House Agriculture Committee Chairman, Rep. David Scott of Georgia, is urging the USDA and President Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, to make diversity a priority for the agency.
Ernst, who was in Glidden Thursday morning as part of her own 99-county tour, shares Grassley’s worries about the USDA’s direction, but both senators support Vilsack’s nomination.
The Senate is scheduled to vote on Vilsack’s nomination on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Carroll Broadcasting will bring you more from the senators’ visits to the listening area in upcoming newscasts.
