The US Senate confirmed Tom Vilsack as President Joe Biden's secretary of agriculture on Feb. 23. Vilsack previously served as secretary of agriculture under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017. Before that, Vilsack served as governor of Iowa from 1999 to 2007. In his confirmation hearing in early February, Vilsack stated that the COVID-19 pandemic, racial justice and equity and climate change would be his overarching priorities when he took over the agency. Vilsack said the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will do its part to end the pandemic. "That commitment begins by doing all we can to distribute the vaccine so that we can get our economy back on track," Vilsack said. "It also means following the science, instituting science-based measures and providing access to PPE to protect our workforce and partners. Our USDA food safety inspectors, for example, deserve not only our thanks for ensuring a safe food supply - they deserve knowing we have their backs."
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