Nomination of Thomas J. Vilsack
Floor Speech
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Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, tomorrow we are going to be taking up the nomination of former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack and former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and now the nominee to be Secretary of Agriculture again.
I fully support this nomination. He has received support from farm and commodity groups across the country, but, more important to this Senator, he received praise from family farmers in Iowa. However, a few critics of the former Iowa Governor have raised questions about his record on addressing racial inequities during his time as Secretary of Agriculture from 2009 until 2017. I would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight.
I have long worked toward ensuring Black farmers receive justice for the decades of discrimination that occurred through many different administrations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, both Republican and Democratic.
People have often asked me why in the world a Senator from Iowa would get involved in this issue. While there aren't many Black farmers in Iowa, my State has a long history of fighting against oppression of African Americans dating to the Underground Railroad. There is no reason to stop that trend.
In my first discussion with then-to-be Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack in 2009, I brought up my work in what is called the Pigford consent decree. A provision I led in the 2008 farm bill enabled more Black farmers to bring their claims forward and authorized the U.S. Department of Agriculture $100 million for additional settlements.
Mr. Vilsack at that time, talking to me privately, vowed then to work closely with me and other Senators on issues and then immediately got to work doing just that, helping Black farmers. Under the leadership of Secretary Vilsack, the U.S. Department of Agriculture discovered that the $100 million at that time appropriated wasn't enough to cover the settlements that Black farmers were entitled to under that consent decree, so in 2010, part of Secretary Vilsack's budget request included over $1 billion to ensure a robust settlement for all Black farmers who were discriminated against for the previous two or three decades. The Claims Resolution Act was signed by President Obama in December 2010 and implemented successfully by Secretary Vilsack.
Besides the Pigford settlements, a top priority during Secretary Vilsack's previous tenure was ensuring a comprehensive plan to improve the USDA's record on civil rights, and that record on civil rights wasn't very good based upon what I have already said about the Pigford case but in a lot of other areas as well. Secretary Vilsack made it clear to all employees that discrimination of any form would not be tolerated at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
My support for justice for those who have faced discrimination remains constant, and I am looking forward to working with Secretary Vilsack and leaders in the Congress to ensure equal rights for every farmer and family in this country.
I am glad to have the opportunity to set the record straight on Secretary Tom Vilsack's solid record in pursuing justice for victims of discrimination.
Mr. Vilsack is the right person for this job. I know that Secretary Vilsack will continue to work for family farmers and spotlight those farmers' contributions to agriculture and what agriculture does for society as a whole. As an Iowan, that is part of Mr. Vilsack's very nature.
I urge my colleagues to confirm Secretary Vilsack once again so that the Department of Agriculture has the necessary leadership in place to continue the important work, and that is, supporting those who feed and fuel the country and, indirectly, a lot of people around the world.
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