Today, Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman Andy Harris and Committee Chairman Tom Cole engaged in an oversight hearing with Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. The focus was on the FY26 budget recommendations and ongoing collaboration between Congress and the USDA to support America's agricultural sector.
Chairman Harris expressed interest in Secretary Rollins' priorities, acknowledging her leadership in implementing the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program. He noted, "The speed at which USDA worked to make these funds available to farmers highlights this Administration’s emphasis that our government work in a better and more efficient manner for the American people."
Chairman Cole emphasized agriculture's importance to rural districts like his own. He remarked, "American agriculture feeds us, but it also roots families, economies, and the nation’s well-being." He thanked Secretary Rollins for her commitment to Tribes, particularly regarding improvements to the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.
Secretary Rollins stated, "When farmers prosper, rural America prospers," quoting Thomas Jefferson on agriculture's value. She highlighted her mission as the 33rd Secretary of Agriculture: "to reconstitute, to rebuild, and to revivify the United States Department of Agriculture."
During the hearing, discussions covered providing nutritious food assistance programs, expanding trade access, protecting farmland from foreign ownership, addressing workforce challenges, supporting family farms, improving disaster relief efforts, and enhancing agricultural supply chain resilience.
