Senate agriculture leaders ask White House to quickly nominate new USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development
Upcoming Events
Related News

Key Takeaways
On May 3, U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) sent a letter to the president thanking him for signing the 2018 farm bill and urging him to act quickly on nominating a candidate for Under Secretary for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Under Secretary is a Senate-confirmed position that implements USDA’s Rural Development programs and plays a lead role in helping counties make key investments in rural communities.
Previously, the Under Secretary position had been eliminated by the administration during a 2017 reorganization of the agency. NACo strongly opposed this decision, as counties rely on a qualified and accountable leader to effectively implement USDA’s Rural Development programs. After months of working with congressional leaders during negotiations over the 2018 farm bill, counties secured language in the final legislation requiring the USDA Secretary to reinstate the Under Secretary for Rural Development.
Counties appreciate efforts by Chairman Roberts and Ranking Member Stabenow to expedite the nomination process and look forward to working with the new USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development.

Attachments
Related News

U.S. Department of Agriculture announces reorganization
On July 24, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a major reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that will relocate thousands of federal employees, restructure regional offices and consolidate administrative services and operations. The changes are expected to reduce USDA’s footprint in Washington, D.C. and shift more personnel to regional hubs across the country.

Congress introduces bipartisan legislation to strengthen rural health care access and funding
Rural communities face unique health care challenges, from provider shortages to funding disparities. To address these concerns, the U.S. Senate recently introduced two bipartisan bills aimed at improving rural health care access and funding: the Rural Health Focus Act and the Fair Funding for Rural Hospitals Act.

Senate lawmakers introduce bipartisan legislation to support public lands counties
On August 4, U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced the More Opportunities for Rural Economies (MORE) Grants Package.