On a voice vote, the Senate confirmed former New Mexico Rep. Xochitl Torres Small as agriculture undersecretary for rural development. Torres Small is the second Biden nominee for agriculture undersecretary to be approved by the Senate.
Senate Agriculture chairwoman Debbie Stabenow said Torres Small would be “a champion for small towns and rural communities. She will give a voice to 60 million rural Americans at the highest levels at USDA.” During her confirmation hearing, Torres Small said she would work to see that rural communities “are not left in the slow lane” of the internet. A Democrat, Torres Small was defeated for re-election last fall.
There are eight undersecretary posts at USDA, each overseeing an area of activity. Beside Torres Small, the Senate has confirmed Jennifer Moffitt as undersecretary for marketing. The White House has yet to name nominees in charge of food safety, public nutrition and international trade.