BUTLER COUNTY – Sen. Chuck Grassley
(R-Iowa) today
called
on President Biden to promptly appoint qualified individuals to the
position of Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the Office of the United States
Trade Representative (USTR) and the role of Under Secretary for Trade and
Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“I write to you today to express my
concern that your administration is not making agricultural trade a priority.
Two positions that are essential to agriculture trade have been left vacant and
there is no indication on when they will be filled… Agriculture is essential to
the livelihood of 86,000 family farmers in Iowa and Americans rely on export
markets to sell our abundance of food. Appointing individuals to these two positions
will allow the U.S. to expand market access and strengthen our agriculture
community,” Grassley wrote.
“Every day that passes without qualified
leadership in these positions means the United States is playing without a full
team against our competitors. Agriculture trade issues will continue to
matriculate and these two positions will have a portfolio that impacts every
farmer and producer in the country. It is critical to nominate a Chief
Agricultural Negotiator and an Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign
Agricultural Affairs to promote American agricultural products abroad. I look
forward to hearing what plans your Administration has to nominate individuals
to these positions and to having the opportunity to review their qualifications
when their nominations are received in the Senate,” Grassley concluded.
Grassley has long advocated for strong
trade partnerships and open markets to continue to
grow
the economy. As Senate Finance Committee chairman last Congress, he shepherded
through the
United
States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Since the USMCA’s passage, Grassley has
continued to monitor the implementation and ensure its being enforced properly.
Most recently, Grassley joined his colleagues in
urging
the U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai urging her to prioritize a
comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) with the Republic of Kenya.
Full text of the letter can be found
HERE.