Brooke Rollins appears poised for Senate confirmation after a Senate Ag Committee hearing where she strongly defended President Donald Trump’s policies while stressing repeatedly that she’ll work to protect U.S. agriculture.
As of Thursday, the panel still had not received Rollins’ FBI paperwork, but it’s possible the panel could vote on her nomination next week, according to a senior aide.
Two key takeaways: First, USDA is gearing up to do a new round of Market Facilitation Program payments should new Trump tariffs trigger another trade war. After the hearing Rollins told reporters she’s discussed possible modifications to the MFP of Trump 1.0 with former Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue.
Second, she stopped well short of assuring senators farmers wouldn’t be affected by Trump’s plan for mass deportations. She notably said the “first round” of deportations would be aimed at migrants with criminal records. That suggests there may be additional rounds that target migrants more broadly, but she didn’t elaborate.
Rollins said she will work with the Labor Department on possible changes to the H-2A visa program, but there’s only so much the administration can do to expand H-2A without an act of Congress.
Read our full report on the hearing here.
Rollins’ mom fights in Texas legislature for PFAS testing
The likely future agriculture secretary has a personal interest in an issue that has become important to farmers and ranchers: the presence of PFAS, which are called “forever chemicals” because of their persistence, in biosolids used as fertilizer.
Rollins’s mother, Helen Kerwin, has introduced a bill in the Texas Legislature to require testing and set limits on the amount of 27 specific PFAS in biosolids. Violations can result in the loss of permits to distribute the material.
Kerwin is serving her first term representing Johnson and Somervell counties. She pledged to Johnson County officials and farmers that she would take action if elected. A group of the county’s farmers sued Synagro, a biosolids manufacturer, early last year, claiming high PFAS levels in soil have killed their cattle.
“I just want the forever chemicals removed and not applied on the farm,” Kerwin told Agri-Pulse after her daughter’s confirmation hearing Thursday. Kerwin said the levels in Johnson County are “off the charts.”
Bill to end PNTR for China draws bipartisan support
Reps. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., have introduced the first bipartisan bill to end permanent normal trade relations with China.
If enacted, the bill would phase in a new minimum tariff rate of 35% on imports from China, with at least 100% duties on certain strategically important products.
The proposal also strengthens assistance to farmers in the event of tariff retaliation. Tariff revenues would go into a trust fund that could be used to top up the Commodity Credit Corp. and buy agricultural products.
“The bipartisan consensus that both parties recognize the need to reset our economic relationship with China is a big win for our nation,” Moolenaar, who chairs the House China Select Committee, said in a statement. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., led the introduction of a Senate version — although without Democratic cosponsors.
Republicans mounted an effort to revoke China’s preferential trade status last year, with then-Florida Senator Marco Rubio among the backers. Rubio is now secretary of state.
IFPA lays out first 100-day asks of the Trump administration
The International Fresh Produce Association is calling on the Trump administration to address agricultural workforce concerns, fruit and vegetable consumption, and pesticide regulations in its first 100 days.
The group is urging immediate action on some policies that support the fresh produce industry.
Specifically, they call on the administration to ensure calculations in the H-2A program align with market conditions. Additionally, to increase produce consumption, they suggest the administration strengthen access to these products through programs like produce prescriptions, school meals, SNAP and FDA labeling policies.
Finally, IFPA wants the administration to modernize biotechnology regulations and support USDA’s Office of Pest Management Policy to work with EPA on crop protection policies.
“These priorities highlight the critical role the fresh produce sector plays in advancing the nation’s health, food security and economic stability,” the group wrote in a statement.
See what’s on our website
In addition to coverage of Brooke Rollins’ confirmation hearing, we posted a story Thursday on Donald Trump’s remarks to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The president repeated claims that the U.S. has been treated unfairly by trading partners, including the European Union, which Trump said barely imports any U.S. farm products.
The EU is the fifth-largest export market for U.S. agricultural and related products after China, Canada, Mexico and Japan, according to the International Trade Administration. However, “for more than 20 years, the United States has run a trade deficit in agriculture with the European Union, with a gap of $17.6 billion in 2022,” ITA says.
In other news, Senate committees advanced nominations to head EPA and the Energy and Interior departments to the Senate floor. Nominees Lee Zeldin for EPA, Chris Wright for Energy, and Doug Burgum for Interior all received bipartisan support. Wright and Burgum fared better with Democrats than Zeldin, who only got one Democratic vote, Arizona’s Mark Kelly.
Also, the House passed the Fix Our Forests Act. Read our story here for more on the legislation.
Final word
“Think about this as a more mature Trump administration.” — Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., describing the actions taken during the first few days of the second Trump administration.
Watch Agri-Pulse Newsmakers today to hear if Lucas believes a farm bill will be passed by this Congress and if Trump’s tariff threats could cause a trade war.
For more news, go to ww.Agri-Pulse.com.
