Brooke Rollins Appointed as Secretary of Agriculture
To successfully persuade Congress to approve the Farm Bill will be one of her key early challenges.
On February 13, Brooke Rollins received Senate confirmation as the secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with a vote of 72–28. A champion for family farms, Rollins also held the position of a Future Farmers of America state officer during her youth.
In the first Trump administration, Rollins held the role of assistant to the president for intergovernmental and technology initiatives and was part of the Office of American Innovation. She played a pivotal role in the passing of the First Step Act, which aimed to reform the U.S. prison system.
Before the confirmation vote, Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, stated that Rollins’s executive experience from the first Trump administration renders her “uniquely qualified to advocate for family farms in this role.”
The department oversees national forests, agricultural lending initiatives, food safety inspections, rural development programs, commodity trade policies, regulations for school meals, and nutrition programs aiding low-income individuals, pregnant women, and young children. Additionally, it is responsible for combating wildfires across its expansive land holdings, including national forests.
During her confirmation hearing on January 23, Rollins stated that she aims to prioritize assistance for family farms and the overall agricultural sector as secretary of agriculture.
USDA statistics reveal that between 2017 and 2022, the U.S. saw a reduction of 141,733 farms, a 7 percent decline. Additionally, farm acreage decreased by 20.1 million acres during the same timeframe, an area approximately the size of Maine.
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“I fully acknowledge that if confirmed, I will be taking on this role during one of the most economically challenging periods in American agriculture,” Rollins remarked during her confirmation hearing.
“We all agree that farmers and ranchers are fundamental to our nation’s communities. I assure you that upon confirmation, I will exert all efforts to ensure our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities prosper.”
A Texas native, Rollins previously served as the CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank. She holds degrees from Texas A&M University and the University of Texas Law School.
During Trump’s first term, Rollins was his domestic policy chief and also worked as general deputy counsel and policy adviser under former Texas Governor Rick Perry.
Convincing Congress to approve the five-year Farm Bill will be one of her most significant early challenges.
“I eagerly anticipate collaborating with this committee and the House Agriculture Committee to pass a Farm Bill that delivers the stability and reliability our farm families require,” she stated in her opening remarks.
Passed in 2024 by the House, the Farm Bill is currently awaiting Senate consideration, detailing projected spending of $1.46 trillion over the next decade.
The 2018 Farm Bill lapsed for the second time on September 30, 2024. The latest extension grants Congress until September 30 of this year to enact a new bill.
During her introductory statement, Rollins highlighted additional immediate priorities.
“It is imperative that the disaster and economic assistance legislated by Congress is distributed as swiftly and effectively as possible,” she emphasized.
Rollins is anticipated to collaborate with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on various issues. Kennedy was appointed as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on February 13.
The USDA and HHS are tasked with finalizing the 2025–30 Dietary Guidelines for Americans by late 2025.
Kennedy has indicated his intention to focus on removing highly processed foods from school lunch programs, eliminating harmful substances from food supplies, and implementing additional initiatives to combat what he describes as a “chronic disease epidemic” in the country.
The former Democratic and independent presidential candidate has also vowed to prohibit items such as candy, soda, and other “junk foods” from being eligible for purchase with food stamps under the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.