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Brooke Rollins nominated for Secretary of Agriculture

By Lacey Vilhauer

President-elect Donald J. Trump has nominated Brooke Rollins to serve as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. Rollins is a former director of the Domestic Policy Council and the Office of American Innovation. She currently serves as president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute.

Rollins is a graduate of Texas A&M University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture development. Rollins also received a law degree from the University of Texas.

“From her upbringing in the small and agriculture-centered town of Glen Rose, Texas, to her years of leadership involvement with FFA and 4-H, to her generational family farming background, to guiding her four kids in their show cattle careers, Brooke has a practitioner’s experience, along with deep policy credentials in both non-profit and government leadership at the state and national levels,” Trump said.

If Rollins ultimately steps into the role of secretary of agriculture, passing a new farm bill will be the first item on the agenda. Although the current Democratic-led Senate proposed a farm bill draft on Nov. 18, it is unlikely that bill will be passed before the calendar year runs out. If a farm bill is still in limbo when Rollins takes office, she will need to work with Congress to find common ground and pass a bill that benefits agriculture.

“As our next Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke will spearhead the effort to protect American farmers, who are truly the backbone of our country,” Trump said. “Brooke’s commitment to support the American farmer, defense of American food self-sufficiency, and the restoration of agriculture-dependent American small towns is second to none.”

If Rollins is confirmed by the Senate, she will be the second woman to serve as secretary of agriculture. The first woman to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture was Ann Veneman, who served under President George W. Bush.

Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].

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