[Senate Hearing 117-511]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                       S. Hrg. 117-511

                 NOMINATION OF CHAVONDA J. JACOBS-YOUNG
                  TO BE UNDER SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
                FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMICS,
                   USDA AND MARGO SCHLANGER TO BE AN
                ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE, USDA

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                       COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE,
                        NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY

                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                    ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION

                               __________

                           November 17, 2021

                               __________

                       Printed for the use of the
           Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
           
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]           


                  Available on http://www.govinfo.gov/
                  
                              __________

                                
                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
47-199 PDF                 WASHINGTON : 2023                    
          
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           COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY


                 DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan, Chairwoman
PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont            JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
SHERROD BROWN, Ohio                  MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky
AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota             JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota
MICHAEL F. BENNET, Colorado          JONI ERNST, Iowa
KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, New York      CINDY HYDE-SMITH, Mississippi
TINA SMITH, Minnesota                ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas
RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois          TOMMY TUBERVILLE, Alabama
CORY BOOKER, New Jersey              CHARLES GRASSLEY, Iowa
BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico            JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
RAPHAEL WARNOCK, Georgia             DEB FISCHER, Nebraska
                                     MIKE BRAUN, Indiana

               Joseph A. Shultz, Majority Staff Director
               Mary Beth Schultz, Majority Chief Counsel
                    Jessica L. Williams, Chief Clerk
               Fitzhugh Elder IV, Minority Staff Director
                 Fred J. Clark, Minority Chief Counsel
                           
                           
                           C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              

                      Wednesday, November 17, 2021

                                                                   Page

Hearing:

Nomination of Chavonda J. Jacobs-Young to be Under Secretary of 
  Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics, USDA and 
  Margo Schlanger to be an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, 
  USDA...........................................................     1

                              ----------                              

                    STATEMENTS PRESENTED BY SENATORS

Stabenow, Hon. Debbie, U.S. Senator from the State of Michigan...     1
Boozman, Hon. John, U.S. Senator from the State of Arkansas......     2

                               WITNESSES

Jacobs-Young, Chavonda J., Ph.D., to be Under Secretary of 
  Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics, USDA.......     5
Schlanger, Margo, to be an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, 
  USDA...........................................................     6
                              ----------                              

                                APPENDIX

Prepared Statements:
    Jacobs-Young, Chavonda J., Ph.D..............................    24
    Schlanger, Margo.............................................    26

Document(s) Submitted for the Record:
Stabenow, Hon. Debbie:
    National Coalition for Food and Agriculture Research, letter 
      of support.................................................    30
    Civil Rights Organizations, letters of support...............    37
    The Leadership Conference, letter of support.................    39
Jacobs-Young, Chavonda J., Ph.D.:
    Committee questionnaire, Office of Government Ethics 
      Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure 
      Report and 5-day letter filed by Jacobs-Young, Chavonda J..    41
Schlanger, Margo:
    Committee questionnaire, Office of Government Ethics 
      Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure 
      Report and 5-day letter filed by Schlanger, Margo..........    73

Question and Answer:
Jacobs-Young, Chavonda J., Ph.D.:
    Written response to questions from Hon. Debbie Stabenow......   120
    Written response to questions from Hon. John Boozman.........   122
    Written response to questions from Hon. Amy Klobuchar........   126
    Written response to questions from Hon. Kirsten E. Gillibrand   126
    Written response to questions from Hon. Tina Smith...........   127
    Written response to questions from Hon. Cory Booker..........   129
    Written response to questions from Hon. John Hoeven..........   129
    Written response to questions from Hon. Joni Ernst...........   132
    Written response to questions from Hon. Roger Marshall.......   134
    Written response to questions from Hon. Charles Grassley.....   135
    Written response to questions from Hon. Deb Fischer..........   136
Schlanger, Margo:
    Written response to questions from Hon. Debbie Stabenow......   138
    Written response to questions from Hon. John Boozman.........   139
    Written response to questions from Hon. Amy Klobuchar........   142
    Written response to questions from Hon. Cory Booker..........   142
    Written response to questions from Hon. Roger Marshall.......   142

 
    NOMINATION OF CHAVONDA J. JACOBS-YOUNG TO BE UNDER SECRETARY OF 
  AGRICULTURE FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMICS, USDA AND MARGO 
      SCHLANGER TO BE AN ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE, USDA

                              ----------                              


                      WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2021

                                       U.S. Senate,
         Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:19 a.m., via 
Webex and in room 301, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. 
Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the Committee, presiding.
    Present or submitting a statement: Senators Stabenow, 
Brown, Klobuchar, Bennet, Gillibrand, Smith, Booker, Warnock, 
Boozman, Hoeven, Ernst, Marshall, Tuberville, Grassley, Thune, 
Fischer, and Braun.

STATEMENT OF HON. DEBBIE STABENOW, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE 
    OF MICHIGAN, CHAIRWOMAN, U.S. COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, 
                    NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY

    Chairwoman Stabenow. Good morning. I call this hearing of 
the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry to order, and we are so pleased today to be here to 
consider the nominations of Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young for Under 
Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, and Margo 
Schlanger for Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture. Welcome to both of you.
    The roles they have been nominated to fill are fundamental 
to supporting farmers and ranchers and fostering trust in the 
Department. American farmers and ranchers have had a 
competitive advantage on the world stage, thanks in no small 
part to the quality of our agricultural research sector. In 
fact, every dollar invested in agriculture research returns 
over $17 to our economy.
    If confirmed as Under Secretary of Research, Education, and 
Economics, Dr. Jacobs-Young would oversee USDA's major research 
agencies, including the Office of the Chief Scientist, the 
Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the National Institute of 
Food and Agriculture, the Economic Research Service, and the 
National Agricultural Statistics Service.
    Whether it is Michigan State University--Go Green--finding 
ways to increase cherry yields, or the University of Arkansas 
optimizing water use in rice production, agricultural research, 
education, and extension is fundamental to ensuring an abundant 
food supply and building resiliency in the agriculture system.
    The need for research does not stop there. Farmers rely on 
USDA economics and statistics for insights into markets, costs 
and trade, to make informed decisions about their business 
operations. Congressional and USDA leaders use data to better 
support farmers and ranchers who grow different products in 
different parts of the country.
    Sadly, over the past few years, USDA's research agencies 
have had high employee vacancy rates, struggle to find the 
researchers they need with scientific expertise in agricultural 
sciences. If confirmed, Dr. Jacobs-Young will need to rebuild a 
diverse work force and talent pool.
    As a long-time leader at the USDA, Dr. Jacobs-Young is 
perfectly situated for the role of leading research, education, 
and economics. She is well respected by her peers, the academic 
community, and the agricultural industry.
    Just as there is work to be done within USDA's research 
programs, there is much to be done within the Office of Civil 
Rights as well. It is no secret that the USDA has had a 
troubled history when it comes to civil rights. As the arbiter 
of equal opportunity across the Department, the Assistant 
Secretary for Civil Rights plays a critical role in making good 
on Secretary Vilsack's promise to build a culture of inclusion 
for USDA staff and the public that the USDA serves.
    For farmers and communities historically left out of the 
USDA's work, improving equity, accountability, and access in 
USDA employment and USDA programs will be a game-changer.
    Diversity broadens our horizons of what is possible, and 
more participants contributing to our farm economy builds our 
economic strength. If confirmed as Assistant Secretary for 
Civil Rights, Ms. Schlanger is well suited to lead these 
efforts. She is a leading authority on civil rights issues. She 
is a strong advocate for protecting the civil rights of 
employees and customers within Federal agencies. She is also 
experienced as a top civil rights official in the Obama 
Administration, and has practical experience implementing civil 
rights protections.
    Thank you to Dr. Jacobs-Young and Ms. Schlanger for joining 
us today. I look forward to hearing your visions for the 
Department in your respective mission areas, if confirmed.
    I would note that you both have received letters of support 
from multiple agencies, and I ask unanimous consent that these 
letters be entered into the record. Without objection, so 
ordered.

    [The letters can be found on pages 30-40 in the appendix.]

    Chairwoman Stabenow. With that I will turn to my colleague 
and Ranking Member, Senator Boozman, for any opening comments 
that he would like to make.

 STATEMENT OF HON. SENATOR JOHN BOOZMAN, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE 
                       STATE OF ARKANSAS

    Senator Boozman. Thank you, Madam Chair, and I am pleased 
to welcome Chavonda Jacobs-Young, the President's nominee for 
Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, and Ms. 
Margo Schlanger, nominated to be the Department of 
Agriculture's Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young has already had a long and storied career 
in the Department of Agriculture, serving in various leadership 
roles, including Administrator of the Agricultural Research 
Service, Acting Director of the National Institute of Food and 
Agriculture, and she has even served in an acting capacity 
twice for the position in which she is nominated.
    She is a proud alum of a distinguished land-grant 
institution, North Carolina State University, where she earned 
her baccalaureate, master's, and Ph.D. She began her career as 
an assistant professor at University of Washington before 
moving to Washington, DC, to become a national program leader 
at the Agricultural Research Service. She has served American 
agriculture very well in her career, and I am pleased she is 
willing to continue her service in this role.
    The Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area 
plays a vital role in spearheading the Nation's agricultural 
research enterprise through the National Institute of Food and 
Agriculture. It is the Federal leg of the three-legged stool 
that funds our land- grant universities which support American 
farmers, ranchers, and consumers through county-level 
cooperative extension services, regional and State experiment 
stations, and first-rate academics.
    It leads the Department of Agriculture's chief scientific 
agency, the Agricultural Research Service, and the Economic 
Research Service. Finally, it houses the National Agricultural 
Statistics Service, the hardworking, dedicated staff tasked 
with the challenging job of documenting the successes of 
American agriculture through various surveys and the census of 
agriculture. That is a lot.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young, you have been asked to lead one of the 
most important and foundational mission areas of the 
Department. I am confident that you have the experience and 
knowledge to lead it well. Congratulations on your nomination, 
and I look forward to your comments today.
    Ms. Margo Schlanger has an equally long and distinguished 
career in public service, specifically in the field of civil 
rights. She has held positions at the Department of Homeland 
Security and the Department of Justice. She has taught at 
Harvard Law School, Washington University in St. Louis, the 
University of California, and in her current post at the 
University of Michigan School of Law. She served as a law clerk 
for the late Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Ruth 
Bader Ginsburg.
    The position of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights leads 
the Department of Agriculture's civil rights programs, 
including matters related to program delivery, compliance, and 
equal employment opportunity. The Assistant Secretary is 
responsible for ensuring the fair and equitable treatment of 
both customers and employees.
    Professor, you are taking on a challenging office that 
handles very sensitive issues. Numerous Office of Inspector 
General and Government Accountability Office reports outline 
ongoing challenges at the Department that need to be addressed. 
If you are fortunate enough to be confirmed, you will need to 
focus on how USDA handles civil rights cases or claims 
efficiently and effectively. In addition, I challenge you to 
give measured thought about how civil rights are woven into the 
fabric of all that the Department does prospectively, and to 
work to ensure that no USDA program or employee or contractor 
acts in a discriminatory manner.
    Further, what is important is that when USDA develops 
programs to address civil rights that it does so in a manner 
that ensures transparency and predictability. This has been a 
problem, as the Administration's attempts in the American 
Rescue Plan to provide debt relief for certain classes of 
farmers is now caught up in the courts as a result of numerous 
lawsuits. Ham-handed efforts such as these help no one.
    Ms. Schlanger, congratulations on your nomination and thank 
you for your willingness to serve the country once again. I 
also look forward to your comments.
    With that I yield back, Madam Chair.
    Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much, and I would now 
like to officially welcome you and officially introduce each of 
you.
    Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young has held leadership roles at 
multiple research agencies at USDA, including Director of the 
Office of the Chief Scientist and Acting Director for the 
National Institute of Food and Agriculture. She has also served 
as an advisor to the Obama Administration in a variety of 
agricultural scientific activities while at the White House 
Office of Science and Technology Policy. If confirmed, Dr. 
Jacobs-Young will be the first woman of color to serve as Under 
Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, which is the 
Department's highest scientific post.
    This is just one of many impressive firsts for Dr. Jacobs-
Young. She was the first African American woman in the country 
to receive a Ph.D. in wood and paper science, and the first 
woman of color to serve as the administrator for the 
Agricultural Research Service.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young is a native of Augusta, Georgia. She 
received her BS, MS, and Ph.D. from North Carolina State 
University, where she was also a three-time ACC track champion. 
That is very impressive.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young has dedicated her career to public 
service. Her commitment to science, research, and education in 
service to the American people should be an inspiration to the 
next generation of students, scientists, and leaders in the 
research space. If confirmed, she will be tasked with 
protecting scientific integrity and helping USDA build a 
diverse and resilient scientific work force.
    Margo Schlanger, welcome to the Committee, officially, as 
well. Margo Schlanger is a leading authority on civil rights 
issues. She is currently the Wade H. and Dores M. McCree 
Collegiate Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law 
School--Go Blue--and she founded and directs the Civil Rights 
Litigation Clearinghouse, a national repository of information 
about large-scale civil rights cases. She is the author of 
dozens of law review and other scholarly articles.
    Ms. Schlanger was appointed by President Obama in 2010 and 
2011, to serve as Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties 
at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As the Head of 
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties for DHS, she was the 
Secretary's lead advisor on civil rights and civil liberties 
issues. If confirmed, Ms. Schlanger brings valuable practical 
experience in implementing procedural solutions for agency 
oversight and enforcement of civil rights protections.
    A graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School, Ms. 
Schlanger clerked for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg for her first 
two terms on the U.S. Supreme Court.
    I would now like to ask both of you to rise, and we need to 
ask a couple of questions.
    Do you swear or affirm that the testimony you are about 
provide is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the 
truth, so help you God?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. I do.
    Ms. Schlanger. I do.
    Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you. Second, do you agree that, 
if confirmed, you will appear before any duly constituted 
committee of Congress if asked to appear?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. I do.
    Ms. Schlanger. I do.
    Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much.
    Your testimony will be made part of the record in its 
entirety, and you may proceed as you so desire. We will start 
with Dr. Jacobs-Young for five minutes of testimony, followed 
by Ms. Schlanger. Welcome again.

  STATEMENT OF CHAVONDA J. JACOBS-YOUNG, PH.D., NOMINEE TO BE 
  UNDER SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND 
                        ECONOMICS, USDA

    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Chairwoman Stabenow, Ranking Member 
Boozman, and members of this Committee, thank you for the 
opportunity to appear before you today in consideration of my 
nomination. I have served the American people for two decades 
at the United States Department of Agriculture. It is now my 
honor to be nominated by President Biden to lead the Research, 
Education, and Economics mission area as Under Secretary. If 
confirmed, I look forward to supporting Secretary Vilsack to 
meet the high-priority challenges before us.
    I want to thank my husband, Arland Young, and my children, 
Autumn and Arland Junior, for their unwavering support over the 
years as I dedicated myself to public service and the mission 
of USDA.
    Most would say this little girl, with her early start in a 
place called the ``Bottom'' in Augusta, Georgia, is an unlikely 
candidate to be here before you today. My mom, Clide Coppin, 
was a first-generation college graduate of the Medical College 
of Georgia and a divorced single parent. She taught me, through 
demonstration and elevated expectations, the value of 
education, persistence, and hard work on improving my quality 
of life. She successfully broke the cycle of poverty and 
ensured that my sisters and I were all college graduates.
    My passion for science and fascination with understanding 
how things work have been constants in my life. From receiving 
my first chemistry set in elementary school, to running my own 
laboratory as a faculty member at the University of Washington, 
and to leading the world's finest agricultural research 
institution, seeking solutions to challenges is in my blood.
    To get here I have had to blaze several new trails. I am a 
lot of ``firsts'': first African American Ph.D. in the country 
in my field, first African American faculty member in my 
department at the University of Washington, and now the first 
female and first African American Administrator of the 
Agricultural Research Service.
    Being many ``firsts'' has taught me humility as well as 
given me strength and confidence. While being the first has 
been defining thus far, it is more important to me now that I 
am not the last. That is why I have a personal commitment to 
paying it forward and paving the way for others.
    Over the course of my career, as I have successfully led 
efforts both nationally and globally, I hope I have expanded 
the perception of what an agricultural scientist looks like. I 
am thankful for this opportunity.
    I have had the best experience working at USDA. I have 
learned the power of applying collaboration and innovation to 
pressing agricultural challenges and how to focus in and 
deliver impactful scientific solutions. The United States is 
blessed with one of the safest, most abundant, and diverse food 
supplies in the world. Science and innovation have been key to 
making it so.
    If confirmed as REE Under Secretary, I will bring to the 
role considerable agricultural research expertise and 
leadership experience, as well as an unquenchable enthusiasm 
for the scientific endeavor, which I have had since my mom 
bought me that first chemistry set. I will bring my proven 
background as an innovator and creative problem-solver. Most 
exciting to me, I will bring my commitment to inspire, mentor, 
and develop the next generation of agricultural professionals.
    Thank you for having me here today. I am looking forward to 
our discussion.

    [The prepared statement of Dr. Jacobs-Young can be found on 
page 24 in the appendix.]

    Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you so much. Ms. Schlanger, 
welcome.

   STATEMENT OF MARGO SCHLANGER, NOMINEE TO BE AN ASSISTANT 
                 SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE, USDA

    Ms. Schlanger. Thank you so much, Chairwoman Stabenow, 
Ranking Member Boozman, and members of the Committee. I am 
honored to be with you today and am grateful and humbled by 
President Biden's nomination of me to serve as Assistant 
Secretary for Civil Rights for the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture. I am grateful, too, for Secretary Vilsack's 
support.
    I come before you buoyed by abundant love and support from 
my family. With me is my husband, Sam Bagenstos. Sam and I met 
as young civil rights lawyers at the Department of Justice and 
I have relied on his wisdom and encouragement ever since. 
Watching remotely, I think, are our two amazing children, Harry 
and Leila, who are seniors in college. I lean, as well, on the 
support and love of my father, sister, and two brothers. One of 
my brothers has been especially excited by the possibility that 
I might work at the Department of Agriculture because of nearly 
10 years that he spent as a vegetable farmer, an experience I 
learned a great deal from as well, vicariously.
    I wish to honor, as well, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for whom I 
clerked and whose memory is a blessing. I learned more than I 
can say from Justice Ginsburg.
    Civil rights have been the core of my professional life 
since law school, and what I mean by that is that I have 
focused my work on expanding equality and fairness. My whole 
career has been about building tools and processes within 
complex organizations to help them respect civil rights. If I 
am privileged to be confirmed, I would be excited to bring my 
experience to USDA.
    I have learned many relevant lessons from my past efforts 
as a civil rights lawyer and as a professor, as the head of a 
different Federal cabinet department's civil rights office and 
as a court-appointed independent monitor in a civil rights 
statewide case.
    Among those lessons affected individuals have enormous 
insight into the problems they face and the solutions they 
need. Providing them a route to share their experience and 
taking their input seriously is necessary for solving those 
problems. Change requires will and collaborative problem 
solving, and I am committed to that. Finally, transparency and 
information sharing are powerful tools.
    If confirmed, I will work to use those lessons to address a 
number of urgent priorities. The first one is addressing 
distrust. I understand that distrust exists toward USDA's Civil 
Rights Office among communities and individuals who have been 
excluded from access to USDA programs. I believe that those 
affected individuals and communities have wisdom to share, and 
I look forward to spending a lot of time listening to them and 
to building trust by being responsive to what I learn.
    Second priority is addressing the criticisms of the 
programmatic complaint program. I believe that this process, 
this complaint process, must be open and easy to access. It 
must be fair and competent and able to accurately assess 
complaints. It must be speedy enough to actually solve 
violations when they are found. Where violations are not found, 
speed is necessary, too, to enable the agency and the 
complainant to move on. The complaint process must offer 
effective remediation.
    Third, a priority of helping to build a civil rights 
culture. Secretary Vilsack has committed to build a culture 
that supports and reinforces civil rights at USDA. That means 
assessing the hundreds of programs the Department runs and 
thinking about barriers to access, and it means embedding civil 
rights in the Department's important decisions.
    Secretary Vilsack has pledged to eliminate discrimination 
at USDA, and he has promised a system of rigorous reporting, 
accountability, and oversight in all of the Department's 
efforts. He has said this is a top priority. I agree that there 
is no place at USDA for discrimination. We need both backward-
and forward-looking action, to repair past mistakes and to 
ensure that there are no new ones.
    In 1864, President Lincoln called USDA, the Department he 
had founded, ``The People's Department,'' and that should not 
merely be an aspiration. USDA can and should be a Department 
for all people, removing barriers to access and committing to 
equality and fairness in all its activities. I am honored to be 
considered to play a role in this mission.
    I look forward to your questions, and if I am confirmed, to 
working with you in the future.

    [The prepared statement of Ms. Schlanger can be found on 
page 26 in the appendix.]

    Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much to both of you, 
and so we will begin five-minute rounds now in questioning. 
First I would start with Dr. Jacobs-Young.
    The most pressing issue in agriculture right now are the 
incredible weather swings and the threats posed by the climate 
crisis. Farmers want to be part of the solution, and certainly 
have already been part in terms of conservation practices, and 
they are eager to do more. Agriculture research plays an 
important part in giving them the critical tools to mitigate 
and adapt to the extreme changes in our climate.
    Can you please describe your vision for USDA's research 
enterprise in addressing these threats and possible solutions?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Senator Stabenow, thank you for your 
question.
    Chairwoman Stabenow. I think we may need, just to make sure 
your volume is on. Is your mic on?
    Take two. Oh great. All right.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you for your question. USDA has 
been a leader in climate science. I am very proud of the long-
term infrastructure we have inside of USDA, our 18 LTAR sites 
across the country, our Long-Term Agroecosystem Research 
network sites, where we invite the farmers and producers in to 
be a part of the development process for climate-smart 
practices, to be able to test those climate-smart practices to 
de-risk some of those practices for them. More importantly, to 
increase adoption of the technologies.
    We are also coupled with the capacity of the land-grant 
university system, and I think together we bring decades of 
expertise to this topic. We have seen that our severe weather 
events are becoming more frequent, more extreme. Innovation and 
technology have been the answer to our biggest challenges in 
the past, and I believe that the REE agencies and the land-
grant universities together are positioned to be able to 
support the priorities of the Congress and of the 
Administration, and if confirmed, I look forward to continuing 
our impactful work that we have underway inside of USDA and 
working with our land-grant partners.
    Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you.
    Professor Schlanger, the USDA, as you know, has a long 
history of discrimination, unfortunately, in both delivery of 
programs and among employees of the Department. In recognition 
of the issues--longstanding issues in the Department--how will 
you work to address discrimination, moving forward?
    Ms. Schlanger. Thank you for the question, Madam 
Chairwoman. I think that we have to be relentless about a dual 
focus, one that is remedial and one that is forward-looking. 
What I mean by that--and that is true for both programmatic and 
employment discrimination, and I look forward, if confirmed, to 
bringing that perspective to the Office of Civil Rights.
    What I mean by that is that there has to be a backward-
looking, a working, backward-looking process, one that can take 
complaints, address them fairly, efficiently, and effectively, 
solve the problems that the complainants bring forward, offer 
them a solution, or if there turns out to not be a 
discriminatory problem, tell them that so that they and the 
agency can move on. That is a necessary, backward-looking 
component of the program.
    In addition, both that set of inputs and many other sets of 
inputs have to inform a forward-looking solution that examines 
programs and makes sure that they are set up to succeed with 
respect to inclusion as well as all the other things that they 
are trying to accomplish. We have to do a forward-looking 
barrier analysis and understand solutions that way.
    Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young, Michigan is the second-most-diverse State 
in agricultural production, from specialty crops and organics 
to local food systems and extensive urban agriculture as well. 
What are the biggest research challenges facing these farmers, 
and how can USDA better support the diversity of agricultural 
production through research and extension?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you, Senator Stabenow. In urban 
agriculture, what we find is that we have the same issues we 
face in other parts of our agriculture production practices. We 
have pest and disease management research, breed development 
for indoor growth, and more importantly, energy consumption. We 
in USDA ARS we have developed software to help be able to 
predict how much energy an indoor agriculture process may need, 
for example. We are working very hard to make sure that urban 
agriculture is a significant component of our food production 
in America.
    Chairwoman Stabenow. I think it is so important, as we go 
forward. One of the successes we have had with the farm bill is 
representing and embracing all parts of agriculture, all 
regions, all sizes, from very large to very small, and the 
important contributions from each of those sectors. I look 
forward to working with you on this.
    Senator Boozman.
    Senator Boozman. Thank you, Madam Chair, and Dr. Jacobs-
Young, thank you for a very informative meeting yesterday. The 
topic that we covered was the importance of the National 
Agricultural Law Center, a distinguished enterprise housed at 
the University of Arkansas. As you know, this center serves a 
vital role not only for congressional members and their staff 
but for agricultural producers and stakeholders across the 
country. Their partnership with the National Agricultural 
Library, which, of course, you are familiar with from your time 
at the Agricultural Research Service, is very important to me 
and very important to agriculture, in general. I appreciate you 
noting that in our conversation yesterday.
    Another issue that is very important to me is 
biotechnology. The United States should be the tip of the spear 
in driving advancements in both plant and animal biotechnology. 
While these technologies face a troubling regulatory 
environment with other agencies, the Department of Agriculture 
has traditionally proven to take a risk-based and science-
driven approach to facilitating, rather than impeding, these 
technologies. I believe the REE mission area has a critical 
role to play in the development and adoption of new tools.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young, please share with us your thoughts on the 
role of newer technologies in the future of U.S. agriculture, 
and if confirmed, how will you lead the mission area in this 
critical work?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you for your question, Senator 
Boozman. Very importantly, we know that the population is 
growing. You know, we are expected to be somewhere near 10 
billion by the year 2050. We have a need to grow more food at 
the same time we have a need to protect the environment.
    We know, historically, that innovation, the Green 
Revolution, for example, were the only way we were able to meet 
these types of challenges. We have to have every tool in our 
arsenal to be able to meet the challenges before us. There is 
not an either/or. We cannot grow more food or protect the 
environment. We have to be able to do both. In order to do 
that, we need to use advanced technologies.
    In the Agriculture Research Service we are pushing the 
envelope on innovation, using advanced tools and techniques, 
bringing those techniques to crops, specialty crops that 
typically would not use the advanced tools and techniques. 
Being able to spread that information will shorten the time 
from discovery to dissemination. We must have advanced tools 
and technologies in our toolbox in order to meet the needs.
    I know that globally we have also shared this message on 
the global stage. If confirmed, I look forward to continuing to 
really impress upon others the importance of using biotech, 
gene editing, when appropriate, when needed, in our toolbox.
    Senator Boozman. Very good. Dr. Jacobs-Young, you know, 
firsthand, the importance of the land-grant university system. 
You are the product of a land-grant. I am also the product of a 
land-grant in Arkansas. We have two distinguished land-grant 
institutions, my alma mater, the University of Arkansas, and 
the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, both of which do 
great work in agricultural academics, research, and cooperative 
extension.
    Arkansas Pine Bluff, in particular, has done some great 
work through their Aquaculture and Fisheries Center of 
Excellence. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, we 
have invested as much as we can into our land-grant 
institutions, and the return on that investment is always very, 
very high.
    However, there never seems to be enough resources. If 
confirmed, what will you do to help our land-grant universities 
focus their resources to make the best use of taxpayer dollars?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you again. You know, I joined USDA 
two decades ago with the Cooperative State Research, Education, 
and Extension Service, and it was then that I learned the power 
of the partnership between USDA and our land-grant university 
system. In fact, one-third of ARS's labs are located on land-
grant university campuses, so we work side by side.
    If confirmed, I commit to continuing the engagement and 
working with our land-grant partners to prioritize and seek 
partnerships and collaborations around leveraging our resources 
to meet our biggest challenges.
    Senator Boozman. Very good. Thank you, Madam Chair.
    Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much. Speaking of 
technology, we will turn to Senator Smith virtually, and then 
go to Senator Fischer.
    Senator Smith. Thank you, Madam Chair and Ranking Member. I 
am glad to be with you. I want to thank both of our nominees, 
Dr. Jacobs-Young and Ms. Schlanger, for your willingness to 
serve our country in the USDA. Thank you so much, Dr. Jacobs-
Young, for our meeting yesterday. It was wonderful to have a 
chance to visit with you. As we discussed, I think that your 
deep knowledge of the Department and your long experience there 
will make you an excellent leader in this role that you are 
being considered for.
    Before I begin my questions I want to just start out by 
inviting you both to Minnesota. I suspect that my colleague, 
Senator Klobuchar, will join in this invitation. Dr. Jacobs-
Young, we would love to have you come visit the Agriculture 
Research Service facility in Morris, Minnesota. That Morris 
facility houses the North Central Soil Conservation Research 
Lab and was slated for closure by the Trump administration. 
Luckily, the Minnesota congressional delegation, appreciating 
the importance of this facility, worked to keep it open and 
funded, and I think you would really appreciate the work that 
is being done there and the research that has been done there. 
We would love to have you come and visit us.
    [Pause.]
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you.
    Senator Smith. Awkwardness of virtual discussions. Pardon 
me.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. I look forward to visiting our teams at 
Morris, Minnesota. Every March, when we are in person, their 
supporters and many of the scientists come into Washington, DC, 
and I get to visit with them often. Thank you for the support 
of that laboratory. We really appreciate it.
    Senator Smith. Thank you. We touched on this a little bit 
yesterday, Dr. Jacobs-Young. Minnesota has a diverse farming 
community. Hmong, Native, Latino, Somalia, and Black farmers 
all play a really integral role in the Minnesota agricultural 
sector and in our State's small business community. I often 
hear from them, as I said to you yesterday, how the USDA does 
not do enough to provide support to farmers of color and 
communities of color, and I have asked many of the nominees 
before this Committee what they think, what you think the USDA 
can and should be doing, both internally and externally, to 
remove barriers facing farmers of color, as well as business 
owners of color.
    I see my colleague, Senator Booker, on the screen, as well 
as Senator Warnock, who have been such strong advocates of this 
issue as well.
    Let me ask both of you, Dr. Jacobs-Young and Ms. Schlanger, 
we can acknowledge that the USDA has historically had a blind 
spot when it comes to communities of color. What do you think 
the USDA should be doing to acknowledge this and to help 
farmers of color and business owners of color in the ag sector 
get access to all USDA programs?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you, Senator Smith. Absolutely. 
Secretary Vilsack has a priority to remove the barriers and 
increase inclusion in our programs, and that includes our 
scientific programs. We recognize that we need to take a look 
at our scientific programs through a more inclusive lens. We 
prioritize, you know, certain segments of the agriculture 
industry. We need to listen to our farmers of color to find out 
what are their highest priorities.
    I met with the National Bison Association about a week ago, 
and I learned a lot about what we need to do in terms of 
protecting and helping to produce products that are specific to 
bison, and because they typically use products that are slated 
for cattle.
    There are things that we can do. We can store germ plasm. 
We can share germ plasm. There are a number of efforts that we 
need to put in place, and it starts by listening. If confirmed, 
I plan to do a lot of listening to find out what are the 
highest priority efforts we can undertake.
    Senator Smith. Thank you. Ms. Schlanger?
    Ms. Schlanger. Thank you, Senator. As you know, I think 
that addressing the problem that you have just brought up is 
about the most important thing that I can do, if I am 
confirmed. Reaching out to communities that have been and have 
felt excluded from USDA programs and learning what they see as 
the barriers to access, and making sure that they have the 
information they need to get full and equal access is just 
vitally important.
    We need to not only listen, we need to pay attention to 
what we learn, and we need to check in often as we are 
implementing change, to make sure that that change is not just 
aspirational but it is being felt on the ground.
    Senator Smith. Thank you very much. I know that I am out of 
time. I will yield back. Thank you, Madam Chair.
    Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much. Senator Fischer.
    Senator Fischer. Thank you, Madam Chairman. Dr. Jacobs-
Young, as you know, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln is 
currently working with the Agriculture Research Service to 
create the National Center for Resilience and Regenerative 
Precision Agriculture at Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln. 
The center is an example of how public-private partnerships can 
be created to accelerate the translation of science into 
practice and ensure that American agriculture remains the 
leader in feeding and fueling a growing world sustainably.
    I am very appreciative of the excellent partnership between 
ARS and UNL and am excited to continue working together to 
bring the center online.
    Would you speak to how the center aligns with the USDA's 
science blueprint? Specifically, what science gaps currently 
exist that ARS recognizes must be addressed for the future 
success of our agriculture in this country?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you so much, Senator Fischer. I am 
very excited about the new facilities, and we are engaging in 
discussions with the University of Nebraska to talk about the 
specifics for the facility and the specifics for the program. 
We are still in discussions with Nebraska about the program.
    What is advantageous for us is the co-location that we 
have, those campuses across the country, and UNL is just a 
great example of that, not only on your Lincoln campus but also 
at our Clay Center facility, at our Meat and Animal Research 
Center (MARC). Without those partnerships we could not be 
successful. I think the head of University of Nebraska is an 
ARS alumnus, and so we are very excited to work with Dr. Ronnie 
Green and the team there as we plan to move forward.
    I would love to followup with you, if confirmed, to talk 
about our very specific details of that plan as it moves along.
    Senator Fischer. Great. I appreciate that. You brought up 
the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center that we do have at Clay 
Center. With the current Administration's focus on 
sustainability and climate change, do you agree that 
agriculture, especially livestock, can play a positive role in 
helping to meet the climate goals that we have set?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. I believe that farmers and producers must 
be a part of the solution to meet the challenges that we face, 
and some of the important research that is happening there at 
MARC will be a part of that equation. They are doing some very 
important work on sustainability and environmental impact.
    Senator Fischer. Thank you. I am happy to hear that. I 
think anyone who has had experience, especially looking at 
rangeland, sees the positive effects that animal impact have on 
the land itself and also the vegetation on that land if it is 
managed correctly. I appreciate that. thank you.
    Also, as the Administration continues to focus on 
addressing climate change concerns through agriculture, one 
concern that I have heard as it relates to carbon markets is 
how early adopters of certain conservation practices fit within 
those markets. Take Nebraska, for example, which has long been 
using practices like no-till to improve soil health, while also 
decreasing water and fertilizer usage.
    Can you discuss what research USDA is doing, or that you 
hope for USDA to do, that would help to quantify the impacts 
that early and long-term adopters of conservation practices 
have already had? You mentioned earlier farmers need to be a 
part of this. It comes as no surprise to people who live on the 
land and manage the land that many, for decades, have 
participated in conservation stewardship. What do you see being 
able to move that positive story into the future?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Right. Thank you. You know, the words 
that come to my mind when we think about the conservation and 
role of farmers and producers is voluntary, it is incentives, 
it is engagement. I think, honestly, bringing them into the 
process is going to be the best solution.
    We have the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research network, the 
18 sites, and we have the 10 climate hubs, where we are 
involving the producers in the discussions and the scientific 
process, that we can reduce the risk, from a research basis.
    We want to be able to also better quantify the impact, so 
we are looking at technology. Technology, again, is developing 
sensors to be able to measure, have we made an impact? Have we 
made a difference? We are conducting that research every day, 
and, if confirmed, I hope to be able to come back and talk 
about where we are.
    Senator Fischer. Great. Thank you very much. Thank you, 
Madam Chair.
    Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you. I believe we have Senator 
Booker with us electronically.
    Senator Booker. Yes. I hope you can hear me, Chairwoman.
    Chairwoman Stabenow. Yes, absolutely.
    Senator Booker. Fantastic. I just want to say good morning 
to both of our extraordinary witnesses testifying today for 
their confirmations.
    I want to just jump right in. I know it has been mentioned 
already, but the USDA has well-documented, really terrible 
history of discrimination against Black farmers and other 
farmers of color. Over the past 100 years, discrimination 
against Black farmers by the USDA has caused these farmers to 
lose millions of acres of land, robbing these farmers and their 
families of billions and billions of dollars' worth of 
generational wealth.
    For farmers who have suffered USDA direct discrimination 
and then filed civil rights complaints to ask for help, these 
farmers have very often been mistreated a second time by the 
USDA and had their complaints ignored or dismissed by the 
Office of Civil Rights. Despite the fact that we know that 
discrimination has been rampant, the Civil Rights Office almost 
never makes findings of discrimination.
    Ms. Schlanger, you will have your work cut out for you, and 
I know you understand this. You have a challenge to reform the 
office that has really proven resistant to change over the 
years. I guess my first question, very directly, is if you are 
confirmed, what will you do, not just to speed up the process 
which is critical but to ensure that equitable investigation 
and education of civil rights complaints happens?
    Ms. Schlanger. Thank you, Senator. I appreciate that 
question very much. The complaints against the complaint 
process at USDA are pretty longstanding, and I think the 
principles for solution are pretty clear. The process has to be 
open and easy to access. It has to be fair. It has to be 
competent. It has to be able to accurately assess complaints, 
and it has to be speedy enough to actually solve violations if 
they are found and remediate. It has to be speedy enough that 
if violations are not found it can tell the complainants and 
have both them and the agency move on. It has to offer 
effective remediation.
    It is also super important that complaints be used to 
understand where problems exist and to inform forward-looking 
problem-solving. I am entirely committed, if I am privileged to 
be confirmed, to bringing these principles to bear on the 
existing process and to understanding it and understand what is 
really going on with it as very best I can. I have some 
experience revamping civil rights complaint processes, and so I 
can commit to working very hard and in, I think, an experienced 
way to get that done.
    I am going to need to get behind the walls to understand 
what is really going on and say exactly what the problems are 
and how they should be solved. I do not think I can commit 
right now to exactly what the solutions are because I need 
better information on the source of the problems that have been 
complained about for so many years.
    Senator Booker. I really appreciate that, and another sort 
of area of complaint which I know you are aware of is the 
serious concerns raised, for many years, that the staff at the 
USDA's General Counsel's Office have been improperly reviewing 
and resolving discrimination complaints. If you are confirmed, 
can you commit to ensuring that there will be a substantive 
firewall maintained between the General Counsel's Office and 
the Civil Rights Office for all civil rights complaints?
    Ms. Schlanger. Thank you for that question as well, 
Senator. I know from experience that the relationship between 
the Office of General Counsel and the Civil Rights Office is 
really important. What is key is to be clear about the roles. 
The General Counsel's Office provides legal advice, and the 
Civil Rights Office needs to get that legal advice. It is the 
Civil Rights Office that adjudicates complaints, and it is the 
Civil Rights Office that offers policy advice for going 
forward. The Civil Rights Office needs OGC support when it 
needs legal advice, but it needs independence and respect as 
well.
    Exactly how to make those lanes clear is going to require 
some future conversations. I have been lucky enough to have a 
couple of conversations, not about the nitty-gritty of it but 
just about the ideas, with the general counsel, Janie Hipp, and 
I am confident that we will be able to work this out. I think 
the principle that I can commit to you is that the Civil Rights 
Office needs independence and it needs respect, and I will do 
everything I can to make that happen.
    Senator Booker. I am grateful for that, and I know my time 
is up. I will just say that, you know, things like training and 
outreach that the Civil Rights Office has done in the past 
really have not amounted to cultural change toward the 
resolution of complaints, toward making sure, frankly, that 
corrective actions are taken. I just really appreciate your 
focus here, and there are a number of us on the Committee that 
this is a very serious concern of ours, and I am excited about 
the prospect of you getting confirmed and being a real impact 
player in changing what has been a very long, awful history of 
discrimination, lack of action, over-bureaucracy, and more.
    Thank you very much. Thank you, Chairwoman.
    Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much. Senator Marshall.
    Senator Marshall. Thank you so much, Madam Chair, and 
welcome to both of our guests.
    One of my big concerns is people in the Federal Government 
working remotely. Whether it is an FSA office or folks that 
work for ERS or for NIFA, I do not think people are nearly as 
efficient. That is true in the private world. I think studies 
are starting to show that people working remotely are probably 
80, 85 percent as efficient as they were beforehand.
    My first questions will go to Dr. Jacobs-Young, of course, 
regarding ERS and NIFA. These offices were moved to Kansas 
City, getting us closer to where the action is. We do not grow 
a lot of wheat here in the bubble. Not many cattle are raised 
here in the Washington, DC. bubble, so I think it is great 
these USDA employees are out there on the front line. Ninety 
percent of USDA employees are located outside of the D.C. Area.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young, on the annual hiring data available on 
the H.R. dashboards for the most recent pay period, for ERS and 
NIFA employees in Kansas City, what is listed currently as 
their duty station? Is it Kansas City or is it Washington, DC.?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Currently we have ERS and NIFA employees 
in Kansas City, and ERS and NIFA has also some representatives 
in Washington, DC.. The administrators, the heads of the 
agencies are stationed in Washington, DC, and some auxiliary 
team members, I hear. We have employees for those agencies in--
--
    Senator Marshall. Are their official duty station listed as 
Kansas City and they are working remotely, or is their official 
duty station still listed, for the ones here that are in D.C., 
is the duty station listed as here?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Sir, I do not have that data at top of 
mind, but I would be happy to followup with you on that.
    Senator Marshall. Great. We would appreciate that. I am 
hoping that the answer is going to be is that the duty station 
is listed as Kansas City, and assuming that is the case I would 
hope you would let this Committee know if there is a change in 
that permanent duty station as well. Again, the emphasis is 
remote work just does not work as well. The local community, 
Kansas City, put up incentives to have those employees working 
in Kansas City, and I hope that there is a contingency plan if 
we end up letting those people work remotely, to help reimburse 
those cities as well. We want to stay attuned to that great 
opportunity.
    You know, no agriculture committee would be complete 
without talking about NBAF, the National Bio and Agro-Defense 
Facility in Manhattan, Kansas, my alma mater, home of the ever-
fighting Wildcats. My question for you is, are you committed to 
ensuring the mission at NBAF is safe, effective, and properly 
funded?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. I am completely engaged in the NBAF 
process and have been working with our team for the past seven 
or eight years, and I know there are others who have been at it 
much longer. I am committed to staying engaged with the 
transition of NBAF from Department of Homeland Security to 
USDA. We are committed to hiring. We have done a fantastic job 
hiring for NBAF, and the facility has been designed to be 
extremely safe. I trust the safety of that facility, and I am 
committed to staying engaged with your teams as well as DHS and 
our USDA teams as we move forward on meeting the milestones.
    Senator Marshall. That sounds great.
    This question is, I guess, for both of you who can answer 
it. What type of impact will the vaccine mandate have on USDA? 
Any idea of what percentage of your employees at USDA are not 
vaccinated yet, and how that is going to impact the Department 
going forward?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you for that question. Since I am 
in USDA I am probably in a better position, Margo, to answer. 
You know, I can speak for ARS, where I am the Administrator. We 
have a small portion of our agency that has either not been 
vaccinated or has not finished the reasonable accommodation 
process. Actually, we do not see a significant impact in terms 
of what will be the impact of the mandate on our agency.
    Senator Marshall. I mean, not having a significant impact 
to me would mean like only two or three percent of your folks 
are not vaccinated, versus in most national places, every 
organization I talk to, it is more like 30 percent of folks are 
not vaccinated. Our FSA officers, ERS officers, those people 
out in the field, I am going to expect that a third of them are 
not vaccinated. Are you telling me that 98, 99 percent of the 
people at USDA across the country are vaccinated?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. What I am sharing is that in ARS, a 
science agency, that we have--I do not see us being 
significantly impacted by the number of people not vaccinated 
or not receiving reasonable accommodation.
    Senator Marshall. Okay. Thank you, Chairwoman. I yield 
back.
    Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much. Next we have 
Senator Warnock and then Senator Tuberville.
    Senator Warnock. Well, thank you so very much, Madam Chair, 
and Ms. Schlanger, congratulations on your nomination to this 
important position, and it is so important for so many reasons.
    Let me be very blunt. The track record of the USDA with 
respect to civil rights has been abysmal, and the Department 
has historically failed to provide justice to farmers of color, 
in general, but particularly Black farmers. Black farmers have 
literally suffered at the hands of their own government, and we 
are living with that legacy now. I spent some time in 
Byromville, Georgia, talking to Black farmers, and all across 
Georgia, for that matter, and I have heard this directly from 
them. Discriminatory practices by USDA have cost them 
financially. It has caused a lot of distress for them and their 
families, pushed them off their land.
    If confirmed, what will you do differently? What will you 
do? Will you be the tip of the spear for dealing with 
discrimination claims against the Department?
    Ms. Schlanger. Thank you, Senator, for that question. As 
you know, this is among the very highest priorities for anyone 
who is leading Civil Rights at USDA. What I think needs to be 
emphasized is that there has to be both a backward-looking and 
a forward-looking solution, that we have to have a working 
complaint process so that people who have experienced problems 
have a place to turn to get remediation, and a system that 
addresses their complaint in a fair, efficient, and effective 
way, and addresses it speedily enough that there is some hope 
that they can actually get the remediation that they need, 
which means not three years, say, or four years.
    In addition, we need a forward-looking solution. We need to 
take the wisdom of the people who have experienced problems, 
both the ones who have been denied completely access, so they 
have not been participants in USDA programs, and the ones who 
have been partial participants. They have been participants but 
they have felt barriers to their flourishing by way of those 
programs.
    We need to take their wisdom and we need to use that as 
part of the civil rights culture that we need to build, going 
forward. If confirmed, I pledge to do both of those things.
    Senator Warnock. Well, you know how serious this issue is, 
and we are talking about folks who have been disappointed time 
and time again. I think about the Pigford settlements, for 
example. Could you be more specific? What specific actions will 
you take to make sure that farmers of color, and Black farmers, 
in particular, are treated fairly?
    Ms. Schlanger. Yes. Thank you, Senator. I hesitate to give 
very many specifics, for two reasons. One is I really think it 
is important to learn from the communities that have been 
affected, and I do not want to commit to a path forward without 
having them be included in building that path. I feel that it 
is a little premature to say this is the solution until I have 
heard officially from communities of color what they think the 
path forward should look like. But----
    Senator Warnock. Do you agree that these concerns should be 
prioritized in your work?
    Ms. Schlanger. Absolutely, Senator. Yes, I do.
    Senator Warnock. You will agree to commit to working with 
me on this to make sure that these farmers get justice?
    Ms. Schlanger. Yes, I will.
    Senator Warnock. That their families are made whole.
    Ms. Schlanger. I will absolutely commit to you to work with 
you and to work with them, as well, to solve the problems that 
they have experienced. Absolutely.
    Senator Warnock. Thank you.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young, congratulations, and it is always good to 
welcome somebody from Georgia. USDA's National institute of 
Food and Agriculture provides funding for 1890 land-grant 
universities. These historically Black colleges and 
universities, like Fort Valley State University in Georgia, one 
of our rivals when I was a student at Morehouse, they support 
diversity within the agriculture sector and provide valuable 
services to historically underserved communities.
    I have been proud to work with Senator Brown and other 
members of this Committee to push for more funding for the 1890 
land-grant universities. If confirmed, how will you uplift our 
1890 institutions and ensure that they have the resources they 
need to prepare students for careers in agriculture?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. I have been working with the 1890's for 
two decades now, when I first joined the Cooperative State 
Research Education Extension Service in 2002. I was just with 
them last week, got to Paul Jones and the research directors 
for the 1890's. If confirmed, I commit to continuing those 
conversations with the leadership for the 1890's to build on 
the legacy of our partnerships and expand on the potential that 
we know is there.
    We depend on them for a critical part of training the next 
generation of ag professionals, being a conduit to the 
community so that we can have our ears to the ground. I commit 
to continuing to build and expand those partnerships.
    Senator Warnock. Well. Well, I am always impressed when I 
am down at Fort Valley. It is not an easy thing for a Morehouse 
man to say. These students are impressive, the faculty are 
impressive, and I think we should do everything we can to 
expand their pathway for involvement in the ag sector.
    Thank you so much and good luck to both of you.
    Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much. Senator 
Tuberville, you have been bumped by Senator Thune. He is on 
remotely, and then we will turn to you. Thank you.
    Senator Thune.
    Senator Thune. Thanks, Madam Chair, and I just want Senator 
Tuberville to know, I did not choose to bump him. That is not 
my call.
    Let me start--and I want to thank our nominees for their 
willingness to serve and for appearing before the Committee to 
answer our questions.
    Before I turn to my questions for the nominees I want to 
voice my concern that we are nearly a year into the Biden 
administration and we still do not have a chief ag negotiator 
in place at the Office of the U.S. Trade Rep. In addition, the 
Administration has not even announced a nominee to serve as the 
USDA's Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural 
Affairs. It is becoming clear that this Administration is not 
prioritizing our agricultural trade interests, and I urge the 
Administration to make filling these roles in order to advance 
our U.S. ag trade interests a top priority going forward.
    Dr. Jacobs-Young, I recognize that climate is a top 
priority at USDA under this Administration, but we need to make 
sure that we are focusing attention to resources on efforts to 
advance the production agriculture capabilities of farmers and 
ranchers as they continue working to feed, clothe, and fuel a 
growing global population.
    If confirmed, what actions would you take to make sure that 
various research, education, and economic needs of production 
agriculture are made a priority?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Thank you, Senator Thune, for your 
question. In line with our history in the agricultural industry 
in terms of the research, in the impact for research that has 
been conducted with ARS, if confirmed, I commit to working with 
NIFA, ERS, NASS, and ARS to make sure that we continue to hear 
from our ag producers and to conduct research that is the 
highest priority for them.
    I believe that this is a window of opportunity to be 
transformational in the work that we are doing for agriculture. 
Ag is a high-tech industry, and we are pushing the envelope on 
technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning. We 
talked a little bit about advanced techniques like 
biotechnology and gene editing. I think that there are 
opportunities to do even more than we have done in the past, 
and I am very proud of the past, of the impact that we have had 
on productivity in agriculture.
    For example, I use this example because it was just so 
impressive to me. I had Louisiana's sugar cane growers who came 
in and talked about having an extremely cold winter, and in the 
past they would have lost their production. Instead they had a 
record crop because of the varieties, the breed varieties that 
had been developed in our Houma, Louisiana, laboratory. That is 
just one example of many.
    I think about dairy cows and the increased production of 
milk with fewer cows, which means a small environmental 
footprint. Those are the types of stories that I get to hear 
from the producers every year on the impact that science has 
had on their production. I commit to even expanding on that, if 
confirmed.
    Senator Thune. Let me ask, if confirmed, you would be 
tasked with overseeing the National Agricultural Statistics 
Service, or NASS, which provides data on U.S. agricultural 
production. In the past, South Dakota producers have raised 
concerns about the accuracy of NASS reports.
    If confirmed, what actions would you take to strengthen the 
integrity and accuracy of NASS reports that producers rely on?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Well, thank you for that question. In 
terms of working with NASS, I have worked with Administrator 
Hamer for the last seven years as leaders of sister agencies, 
and I know that Administrator Hamer is committed to listening. 
I know that he is committed to continuous process improvement 
and modernization. If confirmed, I look forward to working very 
closely with Mr. Hamer and the agriculture community to ensure 
that we are listening and responding, as appropriate.
    Senator Thune. That would be great. That has been kind of a 
chronic issue that producers in my State have dealt with, just 
accuracy, reliability, and I hope that you would make that a 
focus.
    Ms. Schlanger, I do not have much time left but one of the 
greatest challenges in delivering USDA programs is the 
exceptionally broad range of program recipients from 
underserved areas with little or no technical capability to 
producers with the latest in technology and equipment. One area 
I would like you to review is USDA program delivery on our 
Native American reservations. If confirmed, do you commit to 
looking into ways for USDA to provide additional extension 
agents and educational opportunities in Indian Country?
    Ms. Schlanger. Thank you for that question, Senator. I do 
not think that my office, if I am confirmed, has the authority 
to do what you are proposing, but I absolutely commit to 
discussing with the people who would benefit from that change 
what they need, how they need it, and then to working within 
the Department to remove the barrier to access that you have 
just identified. Yes, I do.
    Senator Thune. Thank you, Madam Chair. My time has expired. 
Thanks.
    Chairwoman Stabenow. Thank you very much. We are just 
discussing timing since I need to adjourn the meeting here in 
just a couple of moments. I am going to--I can recognize 
Senator Braun and ask unanimous consent that he be our last 
questioner. I am sorry to do that. Anyone else is certainly 
welcome to put it in the record. If there is no objection I 
will ask Senator Braun to ask his questions and then we will 
adjourn the meeting.
    Senator Hoeven. Madam Chair, if I could make a very brief 
statement then I would certainly agree to that.
    I just want to greet our witnesses and particularly thank 
them. I just have to make one quick point that there were two 
great athletes on the Hill yesterday. One, of course, was Max 
Scherzer, obviously a great pitcher, but the other is our 
candidate for ARS director. She actually is an at least one-
time record holder in the high jump at North Carolina State 
University, 5 feet, 10.5 inches. To be able to do that and get 
a Ph.D. in engineering is something I just felt I had to 
mention at this hearing.
    Thank you, Madam Chairman.
    Chairwoman Stabenow. Points worth making, so thank you. 
Senator Braun, I will let you be our last Senator to ask 
questions today. Thank you so much.
    Senator Braun. Thank you, Madam Chair. I enjoyed my 
conversation with both of you just yesterday, and I will start 
with Dr. Jacobs-Young. I have been an outspoken member of this 
Committee about how important it is to make sure the family 
farm maintains its viability over time, because there has not 
been an enterprise that is more difficult, where the risk 
financially is heightened every year. It seems like when we do 
get good markets all of a sudden input prices keep going up.
    I am interested in knowing whether, as Acting Under 
Secretary for the research side of it, education, and 
economics, and especially farm economics, you recognized that 
problem. Does it have to do with, like many other industries, 
we are getting too concentrated at the top, and how will you 
develop, or how will you aim your focus at what I consider to 
be an increasingly significant problem year after year?
    Dr. Jacobs-Young. Senator Braun, thank you for that 
question, and thank you for our visit yesterday. If confirmed, 
I have an opportunity to work with Dr. Spiro Stefanou and the 
Economic Research Service, who has their mission to anticipate 
trends and emerging issues, and more importantly, they have an 
opportunity to tell us what impacts certain policies will have 
on agriculture and the ag industry.
    You know, I commit, if confirmed, to working with Dr. 
Stefanou to really take a look at what you are bringing up, in 
terms of the cost to farmers. I think about the Secretary's 
priority, to create economic opportunities. We are conducting 
research every day to really try to find added value, 
agricultural products for our producers, our small farmers, 
specialty crops, for example, you know, targeted community 
systems.
    I commit to doing that, and if confirmed, I would love to 
followup with you after working with Dr. Stefanou.
    Senator Braun. Well, thank you for the intention to put 
focus on it, and I will always be there because I keep my ear 
to the pavement when it comes to those issues, and it is 
growing in concern every year. Thank you.
    Ms. Schlanger, we had an interesting conversation, and I 
did ask you about the fact that in 2020 we were seeing cases 
actually reduced when it comes to civil rights and 
discrimination as it relates to farming. We you able to look 
into that any further to see if that was because they were 
being remediated in a beneficial way? Was it a good trend that 
we were going toward? Then I have got one other question, so 
reserve about a minute at the end of this answer here.
    Ms. Schlanger. Thank you, Senator Braun. It was good to 
talk with you yesterday and I appreciate the question today. 
No, because I am not yet within USDA I do not have access to 
any information that is not public. I did review the report 
that you referred to, and it does not have enough information 
to answer your question, which is, is the reduction in 
complaints a sign of improved program delivery or is it a sign 
of extra barriers to access to the complaint system. I do not 
know the answer, but I do pledge to figure it out.
    Senator Braun. I would just ask that if, in fact, we were 
moving in the right direction, and just because it was maybe 
under a different administration, that it would be good not to 
reflexively maybe be against something that is already showing 
some merit.
    The USDA, this Committee, has historically had a very kind 
of low-key, bipartisan kind of tone to it, and I do know that 
prior to applying for this job you have been outspoken, you 
know, through the public media, for example, COVID-19 nursing 
home deaths during the Trump administration, border family 
separation, Supreme Court cases. Is that something you would 
continue to be out there with, or would you moderate it, given 
the fact that this has generally not been the forum for that?
    Ms. Schlanger. Thank you for the question, Senator. I 
appreciate it. If I am confirmed to this job I plan for it to 
get 100 percent of my efforts, and I will not be writing the 
kinds of articles that you refer to or making the kinds of 
appearances that you refer to.
    Senator Braun. I think that is a wise course of action, and 
I am glad that you have indicated that that will be the case. 
Thank you.
    Ms. Schlanger. I appreciate the question.
    Senator Boozman.
    [Presiding.] Thank you all for being here today. That 
concludes today's hearing. The record will remain open until 
tomorrow at 5 p.m. for members to submit additional questions 
or statements. With that the hearing is adjourned.

    [Whereupon, at 11:32 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.]

      
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