Agriculture pick Rollins wins unanimous committee vote

By Marc Heller | 02/04/2025 06:36 AM EST

The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee approved Brooke Rollins for Agriculture secretary Monday.

Brooke Rollins speaks during her confirmation hearing.

Brooke Rollins, President Donald Trump's nominee for Agriculture secretary, speaks during her confirmation hearing in January. Angelina Katsanis/POLITICO

The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee approved Brooke Rollins’ nomination for Agriculture secretary Monday, clearing the way for what appears to be a smooth Senate confirmation. The vote was 23-0.

After the committee action, Rollins said in a statement that, if confirmed, she’ll be “ready to get to work immediately to protect and defend America’s farmers and ranchers and can think of no greater honor.”

Rollins had the support of major farm organizations, which have pushed for quick confirmation so the Department of Agriculture can fully staff up its leadership and prepare to engage with Congress on a five-year farm bill.

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But the Center for Biological Diversity criticized her selection. The CBD’s deputy director of government affairs, Stephanie Kurose, said in a statement that Rollins is “yet another oligarch with a cruel anti-environmental agenda and an allegiance to Trump that will always come before anything else.”

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