Today, April 6th, 2022, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02) joined over thirty House Republicans, led by Rep. Randy Feenstra (IA-04), in a letter to President Biden urging him to quickly nominate two qualified individuals to the positions of Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Chief Agriculture Negotiator at the office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). These roles have been vacant since the beginning of the Biden Administration, leaving American farmers, producers, and their families behind.
“Iowa farmers have faced unprecedented challenges in recent years. Droughts, derechos, high prices, the pandemic, lower returns, and overregulation have all negatively impacted their bottom line,” said Miller-Meeks. “The Administration needs to act to support farmers immediately by nominating qualified individuals to these important positions at USDA and USTR. Our farmers could use certainty and stability right now and providing these nominations would be incredibly helpful.”
“Iowa’s farmers and producers feed and fuel our country and the world, but right now, they lack dedicated advocates at the highest levels of the federal government. President Biden needs to stand up for rural America and immediately nominate two qualified individuals to serve as Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs and Chief Agriculture Negotiator for the good of our farmers, our economy, and our country,” said Feenstra. “With a record $183.5 billion expected in agricultural exports this year alone, we must ensure that our rural communities have a seat at the table when negotiating trade deals to open foreign markets and sell their quality product to the world.”
Original source can be found here
