Xochitl Torres Small got sworn in as the new Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. During a Monday press conference, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said Torres Small had strong bipartisan support for taking the role.
Vilsack said during the event, “Steny Hoyer called me twice. Apparently, he didn’t think it got through the first time. Extraordinarily high praise. With all due respect, she met and exceeded every expectation. She’s so good at that, that when her nomination went through the process, she not only had Democrats advocating for her, but she also had high-ranking Republicans. Senator (John) Boozman was literally working on the floor the day of her nomination and the vote in the Senate to secure adequate votes to make sure she got through the process.”
Torres Small was USDA’s Undersecretary for Rural Development before moving into the new role. She’s excited to step into the role because it’s a chance to affect so many lives in a positive way.
She says, “That’s why I’m so excited to get to do this job. That’s what will get me up each morning because our missions are critical. The work we do in operations now will have an impact on the people we serve and their stories for generations to come. So, thank you again. I’m thrilled to get to work on behalf of the people of the people’s department.”