Thune Supports Brooke Rollins at Secretary of Agriculture Confirmation Hearing

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today questioned Brooke Rollins at the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry's confirmation hearing for secretary of agriculture.

On supporting South Dakota's farmers and ranchers:

THUNE: "On the, just the beginning farmers, it's challenging, I think as you know, because of some of the barriers to entry, to get into agriculture. And so making that easier, not harder, and less expensive, not more expensive, is something that we've really focused on. I've got a bill with Senator Klobuchar, which we can talk to you later about, but crop insurance has always been the foundation, the cornerstone of the safety net. And we've got other programs that we try to refine each time we do a farm bill. And this farm bill, which the chairman will lead us through, will be my fifth. And so as we do that, I would encourage you to work with us to find ways to strengthen and fortify the existing safety net programs, and look at ways that we can provide incentives and encourage beginning farmers and young people who desire and aspire to become involved in production agricultural to be able to do so."

ROLLINS: "Sir, I so thank you for that. The average age of the farmer in America is 58 years old. That is not sustainable. If we hope to revivify and restore our rural communities and go back to our family farms, we have to address this immediately. And whatever that looks like, whatever all of the wholesale approach could be or should be, I will be the biggest advocate, the biggest cheerleader. I'll be in the White House all the time talking about it, all across America, working with all of you to fix that. I think it's of dire importance for the future of our country."

On timber harvesting in the Black Hills National Forest:

THUNE: "As you know, the Black Hills is an important timber producer, and timber processors and communities depend upon the Forest Service for nearly 80 percent of their raw material. And in turn, the Forest Service depends on the capacity of the processors to care for and manage the forest. And I know this has been touched on already, but I want to talk specifically about the Black Hills. Since 2019, the timber sale program on the Black Hills Forest has been cut drastically. In fact, sales announced for this fiscal year are approximately 25 percent of what is allowed for in the current forest plan... In 2021, one of the three primary sawmills in the Black Hills closed, citing a lack of U.S. Forest Service timber sales as the primary factor. And today, the remaining sawmills are operating at 50 percent, incurring financial losses and trucking in material from other states.

"This is not sustainable. The Biden administration policies have decimated the timber industry, forest products industry, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. And it's not sustainable for companies, communities, or frankly, for that matter, for the national forest. We have got to manage our forest in a way that reduces the wildfire risk that exists out there. We're starting to see evidence of another pine beetle epidemic in the Black Hills. And so I guess my question is, if confirmed, will you commit to work with us quickly, and the entire delegation in the Black Hills National Forest footprint and the forest products industry to understand the issues at hand and to give much-needed attention and priority and hopefully relief to what is a very dire situation in the Black Hills National Forest."

ROLLINS: "Yes, sir. I've become acutely aware that, not just in your home state, but in multiples of home states, this industry is just being decimated by current policies. I believe I speak for the larger administration and President Trump, that that is unacceptable. And whatever we need to do, within reason and within the law, to turn the ship on that, you have my full commitment and as much time as I can possibly give building the best team, getting our undersecretary in this arena confirmed as soon as possible. But we've already begun the path forward on that, and I really look forward to working with you ongoing and hopefully moving very quickly."

On mandatory country of origin labeling (MCOOL):

THUNE: "As you know, I've been a longtime supporter of mandatory country of origin labeling for beef products, and I would just say that South Dakota cattle producers work really, really hard and tirelessly to produce some of the highest quality beef in the world. The system in which producers operate needs to be fair and transparent, which is why I think it's critical that we take the steps to pass legislation tasking USDA and USTR to find a path forward on mandatory country of origin labeling. So if confirmed, will you commit to working closely with my office, as well as with the U.S. trade rep, to ensure a WTO-compliant path forward for mandatory country of origin labeling?"

ROLLINS: "Yes, sir. I look forward to that, and hopefully I can be a value-add in a consensus-driven approach to that. And I really appreciate your leadership and passion for this."

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