Vilsack has a troubling history with Big Agriculture monopolies, and he has deep opposition from Black farmers and civil rights advocates. For these reasons, we oppose President-elect Biden's nomination of Tom Vilsack to lead the USDA.

In his first stint, Vilsack did little to protect small farmers from monopolies, then quickly left govt to head a Big Agriculture trade group. This "revolving door" appointment doesn't help build trust that the Biden admin will look out for working people over large corporations.

Vilsack's record on civil rights is troubling, both within the USDA and for those impacted by its policies. We support the Black farmers, USDA employees of color, and civil rights groups who spoke out against his nomination. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/09/black-farmers-tom-vilsack-agriculture-usda-biden-cabinet-444077

The USDA is a vastly important department that impacts rural communities and food safety & security for the entire U.S. We need bold leadership at the USDA and agencies across the Biden admin in order to address the multiple, overlapping crises that we face as a nation.

In selecting his staff and setting his agenda, Biden needs to offer a people-first, populist vision that contrasts with the corruption of the Trump administration. An appointment of someone who has served the interests of giant corporations against working people is not helpful.