Durbin Meets With Secretary Of Agriculture Nominee

Durbin Meets With Secretary Of Agriculture Nominee

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today met with Brooke Rollins, nominee to serve as the Secretary of Agriculture, in advance of her nomination hearing scheduled this week before the committee. During their meeting, Durbin shared the agriculture and nutrition priorities of Illinois, and Rollins spoke about her agriculture priorities if she were to be confirmed. Durbin raised the importance of preserving a strong nutrition safety-net to help families afford groceries, and protecting the immigrant workforce for Illinois farmers, including pork, apple, and dairy operations.

Durbin also emphasized the importance of farm safety-net programs like crop insurance, promoting and protecting longstanding biofuels laws like the Renewable Fuels Standard and related policies from interference from petroleum interests, and the critical job expected of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in addressing extreme weather events like dust storms and climate change.

"I had a sensible conversation with President Trump's nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins today," said Durbin. "I look forward to learning more from her in her upcoming nomination hearing."

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