By more than a 10-to-1 margin, senators confirmed Xochitl Torres Small, the granddaughter of migrant farmworkers who became a lawyer and a U.S. lawmaker, as Agriculture deputy secretary on Tuesday. She is the first Hispanic to hold the No. 2 post at USDA, overseeing day-to-day operations at one of the largest federal departments.
Senators approved the nomination on an 84-8 roll call after a few minutes of discussion. “Ms. Torres Small’s impressive and wide-ranging resume makes her an ideal appointee to help lead the more than 100,000 public servants that USDA has stationed at more than 4,500 locations across the country and around the world,” said Senate Agriculture chairwoman Debbie Stabenow ahead of the vote. Dozens of food and ag groups supported Torres Small’s nomination.
Torres Small has been Agriculture undersecretary for rural development for nearly two years. In 2018, she was elected to the House as the the first woman to represent southwestern New Mexico in Congress. Roger Glendenning, the USDA chief operating officer for rural development, will become acting undersecretary on Friday as the temporary successor to Torres Small, said the USDA.