    [Senate Hearing 119-175]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                            S. Hrg. 119-175

                      NOMINATIONS OF MINDY BRASHEARS, STELLA
                            YVETTE HERRELL, AND JOHN WALK

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

                                    HEARING

                                   BEFORE THE

                           COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE,
                            NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY

                              UNITED STATES SENATE

                        ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                                   __________

                                October 29, 2025

                                   __________

                           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
    61-814 PDF                  WASHINGTON : 2025

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

               COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY

                        JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas, Chairman
    MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky            AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
    JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota            MICHAEL F. BENNET, Colorado
    JONI ERNST, Iowa                     TINA SMITH, Minnesota
    CINDY HYDE-SMITH, Mississippi        RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois
    ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas               CORY BOOKER, New Jersey
    TOMMY TUBERVILLE, Alabama            BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico
    JAMES C. JUSTICE, West Virginia      RAPHAEL WARNOCK, Georgia
    CHARLES GRASSLEY, Iowa               PETER WELCH, Vermont
    JOHN THUNE, South Dakota             JOHN FETTERMAN, Pennsylvania
    DEB FISCHER, Nebraska                ADAM SCHIFF, California
    JERRY MORAN, Kansas                  ELISSA SLOTKIN, Michigan

                   Fitzhugh Elder IV, Majority Staff Director
                      Corey Weber, Majority Chief Counsel
                        Jessica L. Williams, Chief Clerk
                    Lauren Santabar, Minority Staff Director
                     Chu-Yuan Hwang, Minority Chief Counsel

                               C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------

                          Wednesday, October 29, 2025

                                                                       Page

    Hearing:

    Nominations of Mindy Brashears, Stella Yvette Herrell, and John
      Walk...........................................................     1

                                  ----------

                        STATEMENTS PRESENTED BY SENATORS

    Boozman, Hon. John, U.S. Senator from the State of Arkansas......     1
    Klobuchar, Hon. Amy, U.S. Senator from the State of Minnesota....     2

                                    WITNESS

    Brashears, Mindy, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture
      for Food Safety................................................     5
    Herrell, Yvette, of New Mexico, to be an Assistant Secretary of
      Agriculture....................................................     7
    Walk, John, of Virginia, to be Inspector General, Department of
      Agriculture....................................................     8
                                  ----------

                                    APPENDIX

    Prepared Statements:
        Brashears, Mindy.............................................    28
        Herrell, Yvette..............................................    30
        Walk, John...................................................    32

    Document(s) Submitted for the Record:
    Boozman, Hon. John:
        National Chicken Council, National Pork Producers, National
          Turkey Federation, and Meat Institute in support of Mindy
          Brashears, letter of support...............................    34
        United Council on Welfare Fraud in support of John Walk,
          letter of support..........................................    35
    Warnock, Hon. Raphael:
        Letter submitted by Raphael Warnock..........................    36
    Durbin, Hon. Richard:
        Letter submitted by Richard Durbin...........................    38
    Fetterman, Hon. John:
        Letters submitted by John Fetterman..........................    40

    Brashears, Mindy:
        Committee questionnaire, Office of Government Ethics
          Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure
          Report and 5-day letter filed by Mindy Brashears...........    58

    Herrell, Yvette:
        Committee questionnaire, Office of Government Ethics
          Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure
          Report and 5-day letter filed by Yvette Herrell............   164

    Walk, John:
        Committee questionnaire, Office of Government Ethics
          Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure
          Report and 5-day letter filed by John Walk.................   197

    Question and Answer:
    Brashears, Mindy:
        Written response to questions from Hon. Amy Klobuchar........   228
        Written response to questions from Hon. John Fetterman.......   229
        Written response to questions from Hon. Tina Smith...........   230
        Written response to questions from Hon. John Hoeven..........   231
        Written response to questions from Hon. Raphael Warnock......   231
        Written response to questions from Hon. Adam Schiff..........   232
    Herrell, Yvette:
        Written response to questions from Hon. Amy Klobuchar........   234
        Written response to questions from Hon. Raphael Warnock......   235
        Written response to questions from Hon. Peter Welch..........   235
        Written response to questions from Hon. John Fetterman.......   235
        Written response to questions from Hon. Adam Schiff..........   236
    Walk, John:
        Written response to questions from Hon. Amy Klobuchar........   237
        Written response to questions from Hon. John Fetterman.......   239
        Written response to questions from Hon. Ben Ray Lujan........   240
        Written response to questions from Hon. Peter Welch..........   244
        Written response to questions from Hon. Cory Booker..........   245
        Written response to questions from Hon. Adam Schiff..........   248
        Written response to questions from Hon. Raphael Warnock......   259

      NOMINATIONS OF MINDY BRASHEARS, STELLA YVETTE HERRELL, AND JOHN WALK

                                  ----------

                          WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2025

                                            U.S. Senate
              Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 3:03 p.m., in
    Room 106, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. John Boozman,
    Chairman of the Committee, presiding.
        Present: Senators Boozman [presiding], Hoeven, Ernst,
    Marshall, Klobuchar, Bennet, Smith, Durbin, Lujan, Warnock, and
    Schiff.
        Also present: Representative Arrington.

       STATEMENT OF HON. BOOZMAN, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF
     ARKANSAS, CHAIRMAN, U.S. COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION,
                              AND FORESTRY

        Chairman Boozman. Good afternoon and welcome. It is my
    privilege to call this hearing to order.
        Today, we will consider the nomination of Dr. Mindy
    Brashears to serve as Under Secretary of Food Safety,
    Representative Stella Yvette Herrell to serve as Assistant
    Secretary of Agriculture for Congressional Affairs and External
    Relations, and Mr. John Walk to serve as Inspector General of
    the Department of Agriculture. We welcome all of you to the
    Committee and congratulate you on the nominations. Thank you
    for your willingness to serve.
        Starting with Dr. Brashears, the work of the food safety
    mission is one of the most consequential responsibilities of
    USDA. Ensuring the safety of U.S. food supply is critical and
    extraordinarily complex. Dr. Brashears knows this well, having
    led this mission area through the pandemic, one of the most
    challenging times in the history of our food supply chain.
    Sound science must continue to be the foundation of our food
    safety regulatory system. This is essential to deliver
    confidence and certainty to consumers, producers, processors,
    and our trading partners.
        Our food safety systems must also continue to adapt and
    modernize to best protect public health, as well as support our
    producers and processors who rely on federal and state
    inspection services to deliver a safe, efficient food supply. I
    was pleased earlier this year USDA extended the line speed
    waivers for the pork and poultry processors after years of
    duplicative study confirmed what decades of research already
    indicated, and I look forward to hearing more about the
    Department's work to develop a long-term program consistent
    with the latest scientific advancements.
        This Committee's work to expeditiously advance Dr.
    Brashears' nomination will help us ensure Food Safety and
    Inspection Service remains the gold standard worldwide for
    meat, poultry, and egg product safety.
        Now, to Representative Herrell, the Office of Congressional
    Affairs and External Relations serves as a vital link between
    the Department and Congress. Members and their staff rely on
    this office for timely information, technical assistance,
    oversight support, and to elevate and find solutions to
    constituent priorities. This relationship is key to carrying
    out our shared goal of supporting farmers, ranchers, and rural
    communities. As a former Member of Congress, Representative
    Herrell most certainly understands this.
        Finally, Mr. Walk, the Office of the Inspector General is
    responsible for conducting oversight and ensuring the proper
    administration of USDA's nearly 300 programs. Any incident of
    fraud, waste, or misuse of government funds is certainly
    unacceptable, and the IG's office plays an essential role in
    preventing these incidents and addressing such issues. A
    proactive and attentive Inspector General is essential to
    protecting the integrity of USDA and ensuring good stewardship
    of taxpayer dollars.
        I want to again congratulate Dr. Brashears, Representative
    Herrell, and Mr. Walk on their nominations. I look forward to
    hearing how they will use their prospective roles to serve and
    benefit American agriculture and the American people.
        With that, I now turn to our Ranking Member and partner,
    Senator Klobuchar.

      STATEMENT OF HON. KLOBUCHAR, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF
                               MINNESOTA

        Senator Klobuchar. All right. Thank you very much, Mr.
    Chair. Welcome to Dr. Brashears, as well as Representative
    Herrell and Mr. Walk. I have met with all three of you over the
    last week or so, and thank you for being with us.
        I also see that Representative Arrington is here, and thank
    you for being here.
        I would also like to welcome all of your families. I know
    that Dr. Brashears' family members, colleagues, students, and
    friends are with us, including her husband, Todd, her
    daughters--everyone is a doctor--Dr. Todd Brashears, Dr. Bailey
    Brashears, Dr. Reagan Brashears, and Presley.
        I would also like to welcome Representative Herrell's
    family here, her sister, Fran, as well as Mr. Walk's wife,
    Ruth, and his four daughters, who appear to be in the front
    row. Am I right? Okay. Grace, Hannah, Joanna, and Phoebe. Thank
    you all for being here.
        The nominees before us will have crucial roles within the
    USDA, and I look forward to today's discussion. We think we all
    know there is a lot on our minds right now with the shutdown
    and with our concern on SNAP. I want to thank Senator Lujan for
    his work on that, but I am going to focus today on these
    nominees.
        The Food Safety Inspection Service is charged with
    protecting public health by ensuring the safety of the Nation's
    meat, poultry, and egg supply. As we talked yesterday, the FSIS
    is a key line of defense from dangerous pathogens like
    Salmonella, and inspectors are hard at work. As Senator Smith
    knows, our State of Minnesota is known for its work in this
    area, with what was once called Team Diarrhea--we are not going
    to go into that--but they are known for tracking down the
    source of foodborne illnesses, and so we care a lot about this
    and the work that goes on in this agency. I know Dr. Brashears
    has served in this role before, and we look forward to hearing
    about her experience and how she can use that experience from
    the past for now.
        Congressional Relations, a portal for the information we
    need to draft legislation, conduct oversight, and respond to
    our constituents, we are concerned, as I noted to
    Representative Herrell, about this reorg plan that came out
    from the Department of Agriculture. Members on both sides of
    the aisle have expressed concerns about that, and it was an
    example where, with maybe some early discussions and someone in
    place in Congressional Relations, perhaps it would have made a
    difference, as well as getting our questions answered. We are
    really focused on that, and I appreciated our meeting.
        Mr. Walk, as we discussed last week, the Congress relies on
    the USDA Inspector General to be the cop on the beat at the
    Department, keeping an eye out for fraud, waste, abuse, as well
    as everything that goes on in that department. We are very
    concerned about the mass firings of IGs across the
    Administration, and it is more important than ever that the
    independence and the integrity of the USDA's IG Office be
    protected.
        Mr. Walk, we discussed that you had served in other roles
    with this and the prior Trump Administration, and we had a good
    discussion about the importance of independence in this role.
        I look forward to hearing about the vision that all of you
    will bring to the USDA, and I look forward to hearing the
    testimony.
        Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        Chairman Boozman. Thank you. We will now introduce our
    nominees. I want to welcome Jodey Arrington, of Texas, to the
    Committee, who is certainly more than well-known in
    agriculture. We appreciate all of your hard work in so many
    different ways, and he is going to be introducing our first
    nominee.
        Mr. Arrington. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar, and
    distinguished Members of this Committee, it is both an honor
    and privilege to introduce to you today a dedicated public
    servant, world-class scientist, and true champion for rural
    America and agriculture, and by the way, a very dear friend and
    former colleague and proud fellow Red Raider--get your guns up,
    Mindy--Dr. Mindy Brashears.
        She was raised on a cotton farm in Wheeler, Texas, and Mrs.
    Brashears embodies the values of small-town USA. Hard work,
    humility, and integrity, her academic credentials include a
    Bachelor's Degree in Food Technology from Texas Tech and both a
    master's and Ph.D. from Oklahoma State, whose Cowboys,
    ironically, Mr. Chairman, lost a big football game to Texas
    Tech last weekend, 42 to nothing, and that is for Mr. Markwayne
    Mullin, if you would deliver that message for me, I would
    appreciate it.
        Dr. Brashears is no stranger to this Committee. She was
    confirmed for this role in the first Trump Administration,
    where she led important reforms to modernizing the inspection
    system, strengthening public health protections, and ensuring
    that America's food supply remained the safest in the world, an
    achievement that will no doubt continue under Mrs. Brashears'
    strong leadership.
        Over the last several years, Dr. Brashears has served at my
    alma mater, Texas Tech University, leading groundbreaking
    research that has reduced E. coli and Salmonella in our food
    supply. As one of the foremost experts in the world on food
    safety, she has not only used her expertise to help the United
    States but to support many of our allies around the globe.
        More important than her impressive accolades and
    accomplishments, Mindy is a woman of deep faith and of great
    character, and she is a devoted wife and mother, and like I
    said earlier, a proud rural American. She and her husband, Dr.
    Todd Brashears, who is also a professor at Texas Tech, have
    raised three outstanding young ladies, Bailey, Reagan, and
    Presley. Together, the Brashears family represents, in my
    humble opinion, the very best of West Texas, a love for God and
    people, a commitment to serving their community, and a passion
    for all things agriculture and rural America. I assure you, Mr.
    Chairman and Ranking Member, you will not find a more capable,
    committed, and trustworthy leader for safeguarding America's
    food supply.
        For these reasons, I proudly and unequivocally endorse the
    confirmation of Dr. Mindy Brashears and urge your support for
    her as the next Under Secretary for Food Safety at the United
    States Department of Agriculture. Thank you for your
    consideration, Mr. Chairman.
        I also served with Yvette Herrell, and just for your
    indulgence, please, she is an outstanding person and patriot,
    and she served this country with great distinction. My district
    was contiguous with hers in eastern New Mexico. It is just like
    one big, happy ag community out there. I am so excited for her
    new venture at USDA if you all would endorse and confirm her,
    and I certainly give my wholehearted recommendation for that
    confirmation.
        With that, I yield back. Thank you.
        Chairman Boozman. Well, thank you, Representative
    Arrington, very much for being here and providing such a warm
    endorsement of Dr. Brashears, and then also your comments about
    Yvette Herrell are very much appreciated, so thank you very
    much.
        Our second nominee is Representative Stella Yvette Herrell.
    Representative Herrell is nominated to be Assistant Secretary
    of Agriculture for Congressional Affairs and External
    Relations. She previously served in the House of
    Representatives from 2021 to 2023, representing New Mexico's
    2nd Congressional District. She also served eight years in the
    New Mexico House of Representatives. Outside of her public
    service, Representative Herrell has started several small
    businesses and works as a real estate broker in New Mexico.
        Thank you, Representative Herrell, for appearing before the
    Committee, and we look forward to hearing your testimony.
        Our third nominee is Mr. John Walk. Mr. Walk is nominated
    to be Inspector General of the USDA. Mr. Walk has an extensive
    career in federal service, starting as a congressional staffer
    in the House of Representatives. After attending law school, he
    went on to serve as an attorney at the Department of Homeland
    Security and Associate Counsel to President Trump in his first
    term. Mr. Walk joined USDA in 2020, where he has now served
    across three Administrations as USDA's Judicial Officer.
        Earlier this year, Mr. Walk briefly served as the Acting
    Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer
    Services before being named Senior Advisor to the Secretary.
    Mr. Walk received his bachelor's degree from Occidental College
    and his J.D. from George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law
    School.
        Thank you, Mr. Walk, for appearing before the Committee,
    and we look forward to your testimony.
        Again, thank all of you for your willingness to serve and
    being here. I will now administer the oath and then begin with
    witness testimonies. Each witness will have five minutes.
    Please stand and raise your right hand.
        Do you swear or affirm that the statements you are about to
    provide is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
    truth, so help you God?
        Dr. Brashears. Yes.
        Ms. Herrell. I do.
        Mr. Walk. I do.
        Chairman Boozman. Do you agree that if confirmed, you will
    respond to requests to appear and testify before any duly
    constituted Committee of the Senate?
        Dr. Brashears. Yes.
        Ms. Herrell. Yes.
        Mr. Walk. Yes.
        Chairman Boozman. Very good. Thank you.
        Dr. Brashears, you are now recognized.

     STATEMENT OF MINDY BRASHEARS, OF TEXAS, TO BE UNDER SECRETARY
                     OF AGRICULTURE FOR FOOD SAFETY

        Dr. Brashears. Thank you so much.
        Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar, and Members of
    the Committee, I thank you for inviting me here today to
    testify before you. I am honored to be nominated by President
    Trump and for the support of Secretary Brooke Rollins to be
    considered for the position of Under Secretary of Agriculture
    for Food Safety. I want to thank Congressman and good friend
    Jodey Arrington for the kind introduction.
        If confirmed, I would be honored to serve the citizens of
    the United States a second time in this position to ensure that
    the United States maintains the safest food supply in the
    world. I have dedicated my career to studying food safety and
    focusing on the safety of the meat and poultry supply.
        Today, I am blessed to have many people here to support me.
    My husband, Todd, my daughters, Bailey, Reagan, and Presley,
    joining virtually, and my daughter-in-law, Victoria, along with
    my mom, Becky, and many other family, friends, and colleagues.
        I have devoted my professional career preparing for this
    role. I grew up on a farm in West Texas where I was raised, and
    my parents instilled in me a love of agriculture and a strong
    work ethic. I was active in FFA and 4-H in high school and went
    to college on a Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo scholarship. I
    hold a B.S. in Food Technology from Texas Tech and an M.S. and
    Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University in Food Science,
    specializing in food microbiology. I have spent 25 years as a
    research scientist studying foodborne pathogens in meat and
    poultry environments while simultaneously mentoring the next
    generation of food safety leaders as a university professor.
        When I held the position of Under Secretary for Food Safety
    in the first Trump Administration, I had the opportunity not
    only to put my technical knowledge into practice, but also had
    the chance to implement science-based food safety policies to
    advance the mission of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection
    Service. If confirmed into this position, it will be a top
    priority for me to make decisions based on sound science and to
    develop and implement policies that are scientifically strong
    and practical and, most importantly, ones that will result in a
    meaningful impact on public health outcomes.
        Some of my greatest accomplishments the first time in this
    office were modernizing swine and egg inspection systems at
    FSIS and establishing a culture of data-driven, science-based
    decision making at the agency. I also oversaw programs such as
    laboratory accreditation and spearheaded programs that improve
    the efficiency of testing and sampling methods for the agency.
    I was committed to strengthening our workforce through
    recruitment programs at universities and vet schools.
    Additionally, I developed a strong connection with other
    agencies within USDA and across the government, including
    collaborations with FDA and CDC.
        Since leaving the position the first time, I have spent the
    past four years redirecting my research program at Texas Tech
    to generate data that is practical to inform public policy. I
    have been on the frontlines of food safety, which has provided
    me with the firsthand knowledge to effectively lead the food
    safety work at USDA.
        I have spent many days collecting samples in beef, pork,
    and poultry plants, mapping pathogens such as Salmonella, E.
    coli, and Listeria through the various stages of processing
    from the lairage areas when the livestock first entered the
    establishment to when the final product enters commerce. In our
    research lab, we have developed new methods and interventions
    to better understand and target key pathogens of concern. My
    team and I have been laser focused on how to make the meat and
    poultry supply safer for consumers.
        In addition to my professional experiences, my practical
    life roles as a mother, a wife, and a daughter have given me
    the strong perspective of a consumer. Additionally, my faith in
    God is the foundation for decision-making in my life. I want to
    thank Him for my family, my education, and experiences, and
    this opportunity that has been placed before me. Ultimate
    wisdom comes from above, and I will rely on this personally and
    professionally.
        Members of the Committee, I appreciate the time you have
    taken to be here today. I am humbled by the nomination, and I
    would be honored to serve as Under Secretary. My experience and
    technical expertise have prepared me for this role, and if
    confirmed, I will make data-driven decisions to ensure food
    safety of the U.S. meat, poultry, and processed egg supply.
        Thank you for your time today and for considering me for
    this important role. I look forward to answering your
    questions.
        [The prepared statement of Dr. Brashears can be found on
    pages 28-29 in the appendix.]
        Chairman Boozman. Thank you, Dr. Brashears.
        Representative Herrell.

      STATEMENT OF STELLA YVETTE HERRELL, OF NEW MEXICO, TO BE AN
                   ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE

        Ms. Herrell. Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar,
    and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to
    appear before you today. I am also grateful to the committee
    staff and everyone who worked diligently on the paperwork,
    interviews, and meetings in preparation for this hearing. I
    want to thank my sister for making the trip out, and I hope my
    parents are watching online.
        I am honored by President Trump's nomination to serve as
    Assistant Secretary for the Office of Congressional Relations
    at USDA. If confirmed, I look forward to working closely with
    this Committee to communicate policy ideas, solutions, and
    resolutions not only to Members and staff on Capitol Hill, but
    also to USDA leadership and stakeholders.
        Preparing for this process has allowed me to reflect on my
    own path. I grew up in rural New Mexico, active in 4-H and FFA,
    raising livestock and working on our small family ranch. Those
    experiences grounded me in the realities of agriculture, and I
    developed a profound understanding of how and where our food
    sources come from. I have a deep appreciation for our farming
    and ranching entities as well as the natural resource
    industries that shoulder the risks, while at the same time
    provide the stewardship necessary to keep our lands productive
    for future generations.
        I have long believed that agriculture should be a place
    where policy rises above partisanship. Good ideas deserve a
    fair hearing regardless of which party proposes them, and if
    confirmed, my goal is to bridge gaps, earn trust on both sides
    of the aisle, and ensure information flows quickly, accurately,
    and consistently.
        Throughout my career, whether serving New Mexicans or
    operating small businesses, relationships have been the
    constant. I have worked at USAA as a policy service specialist,
    owned and operated several small businesses like Holiday
    Kennels and Alamo Earthwork and Paving. I am a licensed
    associate real estate broker. I served in the New Mexico House
    for eight years and later in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    In each role, listening first, then following through, built
    the partnerships that make problem-solving possible. At almost
    every point in my career, the relationships I cultivated proved
    paramount to my success.
        Public service also means being there when people are
    hurting. I have volunteered across the country with Habitat for
    Humanity and Hands of Grace, including after Hurricane Katrina
    in Louisiana and during tornado season in Nebraska--helping
    families clean up, rebuild, and find their footing. Those
    experiences taught me to work shoulder-to-shoulder with people
    from every background to keep compassion at the center of every
    decision.
        Constituent Services is where promises become performance.
    In Congress, my office handled more than 2,800 constituent
    requests with a 98 percent resolution rate because timely,
    accurate communication is not a courtesy, it is our duty. If
    confirmed, my first priorities at USDA will be to strengthen
    the Office of Congressional Relations' responsiveness,
    modernize our communication and IT workflows where needed, and
    give every Member and staffer a clear, fast lane to the
    information and assistance they need.
        Beyond responsiveness, I am committed to enhancing
    transparency and accountability by establishing predictable
    response timelines, clear points of contact, and consistent
    performance metrics to ensure that no request is overlooked.
        I also want to acknowledge Senator Ben Ray Lujan, my fellow
    New Mexican and colleague, I appreciated working within the
    House and across our state. Senator, thank you for your
    partnership on issues that matter to New Mexico's farmers,
    ranchers, Pueblos, Tribes, and rural communities. I look
    forward to continuing that collaboration from this new role,
    should I be confirmed.
        I have also heard a common concern in my meetings with
    Members and staff. Timely, reliable information must be the
    norm and not the exception. If confirmed, I will implement
    clear service standards for congressional inquiries and expand
    proactive briefings on emerging issues.
        Several of you have also raised the broader challenge of
    public understanding. Agriculture is a foundational--is
    foundational to our economy, national security, and way of
    life, but too often misunderstood. I was grateful for a
    thoughtful conversation with Senator Justice about the need for
    better outreach and clear accessibility, and messaging. I
    commit to working with the Senator and Members of this
    Committee to elevate practical, bipartisan narratives that
    reflect the daily realities of producers and rural communities.
        Finally, I want to reiterate my commitment to ethical
    conduct, transparency, and fidelity to congressional intent.
    The Office of Congressional Relations should be the most
    trusted front door into USDA for every Member, staffer, and
    stakeholder. My pledge is simple. Listen carefully, respond
    quickly, and work relentlessly until the job is done.
        Thank you, Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar,
    Members, and staff for your time and consideration. If
    confirmed, I will be honored to partner with you to serve
    America's farmers, ranchers, foresters, and rural families with
    the urgency and respect they deserve. Thank you.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. Herrell can be found on
    pages 30-31 in the appendix.]
        Chairman Boozman. Thank you very much.
        Mr. Walk.

     STATEMENT OF JOHN WALK, OF VIRGINIA, TO BE INSPECTOR GENERAL,
                       DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

        Mr. Walk. Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar, and
    distinguished Members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture
    and Nutrition and Forestry, thank you for the opportunity to
    address my nomination for Inspector General of the United
    States Department of Agriculture. I am joined by my wife, Ruth,
    and our four daughters, Grace, Hannah, Joanna, and Phoebe. I am
    grateful they are at my side, and with humility, I express my
    deepest thanks to President Trump for his nomination to this
    very important role.
        Transparency that enables accountability is fundamental to
    our democratic system of government and necessary to the
    preservation of liberty. Like at other federal departments, the
    American people must have the means to acquire knowledge about
    the work of USDA as part of their exercise of self-government.
    Inspectors General perform a crucial function to promote
    transparency by informing the public of waste, fraud, and abuse
    in the administration of federal programs, that is essential
    for the American people to hold government accountable for its
    decisions and conduct.
        At USDA, the Department is entrusted with stewarding more
    than $200 billion of taxpayer funds annually and manages more
    than 300 programs in support of farmers, ranchers, and the
    American public. USDA authorities include farm programs, rural
    development, agriculture research, food safety, nutrition,
    trade promotion, animal and plant health, forest management,
    animal welfare, disaster response, federal benefits programs,
    including SNAP and WIC, and other important areas. It is
    critical for USDA's OIG to shine a bright light on the many
    activities of the Department and its management of resources so
    that USDA carries out its mission effectively and efficiently
    and with due accountability to the American people.
        If confirmed, I will assume the responsibilities of
    Inspector General with the benefit of nearly 25 years of
    federal experience from my entry-level roles to senior
    leadership positions. My federal service began as a records
    clerk at the Department of Justice while I was still in high
    school. After graduating from college, I served as a staffer in
    the House of Representatives for more than five years.
    Following law school in 2008, I entered the career civil
    service through the Department of Homeland Security's Honors
    Attorney Program. During my eight years at DHS, I provided
    legal counsel to ensure the Department exercised its
    authorities in compliance with all legal requirements to secure
    our homeland while maintaining the constitutional rights of
    Americans.
        At DHS, I was also involved in litigating numerous federal
    lawsuits alleging claims for legal violations and investigated
    many allegations against the agency and its employees.
        Immediately after DHS, I was honored to serve President
    Donald J. Trump for nearly four years during his first term as
    Associate Counsel at the White House Counsel's Office.
        After my service at the White House, I began my tenure as
    USDA's Judicial Officer, a job I still hold in addition to
    Senior Advisor to the Secretary. As Judicial Officer, I am the
    Department's appellate-level administrative judge deciding
    formal agency adjudication, enforcing various USDA legal
    authorities. As such, for nearly five years, I have served as
    USDA's deciding official in administrative litigation under the
    delegation of three Senate confirmed Secretaries of Agriculture
    of both political parties. In this role, I exercise objective
    and independent judgment to draw factual and legal conclusions
    based on the evidence. It is a role that requires impartiality,
    fairness, and fidelity to the law and facts as they are found
    without regard to politics.
        If confirmed, I will approach the role of Inspector General
    with the same objectivity and independent mindedness to expose
    waste, fraud, and abuse as it is found. I would draw on my
    almost quarter-century of service in the Federal Government to
    carry out the oversight functions of this important role.
        You know, in the Bible, Jesus said, ``Nothing is hidden
    except to be revealed, nor has anything been secret but that it
    would come to light.'' That is exactly as it should be in
    government. Given the opportunity to serve as IG, I will work
    tirelessly to bring the work of the USDA into the light,
    keeping USDA leadership, Congress, and ultimately the American
    people, fully informed of deficiencies and problems in the
    Department's administration of its programs to strengthen
    transparency and public accountability.
        Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to
    your questions.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Walk can be found on pages
    32-33 in the appendix.]
        Chairman Boozman. Thank you, and thank all of our witnesses
    for providing their testimony today. We will now begin with one
    round of questions. Each Member will have five minutes.
        Before I ask my questions, I would like to add letters of
    support from various stakeholders for Dr. Brashears,
    Representative Herrell, and Mr. Walk's nomination into the
    record. Without objection, so ordered.
        [The letters can be found on pages 34-35 in the appendix.]
        Chairman Boozman. Dr. Brashears, addressing Salmonella is a
    key component of USDA's five-pronged plan announced earlier
    this year to bolster food safety. This involves developing a
    new Salmonella framework after significant concerns were raised
    by stakeholders with the previous proposal. Based on your
    extensive experience with this pathogen, how do you think we
    can make progress in reducing the prevalence of Salmonella
    illness?
        Dr. Brashears. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for that question.
    I am very happy to answer this. I--Salmonella is one of my top
    priorities. In--before I left this position previously, I
    rolled out the Salmonella roadmap, and one of the foundational
    principles on that--in that roadmap was making data-driven and
    science-based decisions. As we know, there has been little
    movement in Salmonella illnesses based on healthy people, 2020
    goals, and so forth and so forth. However, the technology has
    moved ahead to--for us to be able to identify highly pathogenic
    Salmonella, and we need to start targeting the most pathogenic
    strains of Salmonella.
        This work has actually been done at the U.S. Meat Animal
    Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska, where they have
    identified this, and it is being developed into rapid
    methodologies. We will be focusing on the most pathogenic
    Salmonella, and removing that from the food supply should have
    an impact on our public health outcomes. Thank you.
        Chairman Boozman. Thank you.
        Mr. Walk, during the pandemic, the nonprofit organization
    Feeding Our Future defrauded the Federal Government of over
    $250 million, funds intended to feed kids through the Summer
    Meals Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. While
    the scheme was made public in 2022, last year, our Committee
    learned that the USDA's OIG failed to act on multiple clear
    warning signs, allowing the criminal acts of Feeding Our Future
    to go unaddressed for years.
        The Justice Department has now issued over 50 convictions.
    This situation could have been largely avoided had there been
    proper oversight. That, I think, includes proper oversight from
    this Committee, which is a function that is so important. Mr.
    Walk, do you commit to ensuring your office will be attentive
    and conduct thorough investigations into any fraudulent
    activity related to USDA programs?
        Mr. Walk. Senator, I do, across all of our 300-plus
    programs, yes.
        Chairman Boozman. Thank you very much. Representative
    Herrell, as a former Member of Congress, you know the
    relationship between the Department and Congress is vital. What
    is your plan to work with offices to keep them informed and be
    responsive to congressional inquiries? Again, in your past
    post, you know how important this is and the difference that it
    makes.
        Ms. Herrell. Yes, I do. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do. In
    fact, as a Member of Congress, I myself had submitted a letter
    of inquiry to OCR and waited over 600 days for a response. If
    confirmed, I would like to get in and change the protocols. I
    would like to create meetings more consistent with Members and
    staff to understand their priorities and look at ways that we
    can enhance the response programs. We could look at updating
    some of our systems and the protocols that are certainly in
    place now, but how can we update those and work collectively
    with Members and the staff to ensure that the important
    information each of you need is being distributed in a timely
    fashion?
        Chairman Boozman. Very good. Dr. Brashears, in addition to
    addressing Salmonella, can you briefly speak to some of your
    other goals in returning to lead the food safety mission area
    at USDA?
        Dr. Brashears. Yes, sir. Thank you again. In addition to
    Salmonella, we have to stay focused on other pathogens,
    specifically E. coli. We cannot forget about E. coli and
    Listeria. As we know, there has been major issues with Listeria
    in the past couple of years, so we will be focused on that.
        Beyond that, we have to make sure our workforce is strong
    and recruit veterinarians into FSIS because our workforce is,
    at least when I was there previously, and if confirmed, I will
    be committed to developing programs with vet schools to recruit
    and bring those vets into the agency.
        Chairman Boozman. Very good. Senator Klobuchar.
        Senator Klobuchar. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
        I think I will start with you, Dr. Brashears. You are a
    scientist with a respected academic position at a major
    university, and I think you know FSIS has one of the most
    critical roles within the Department with safety. Sadly, in
    other agencies, there has been increasing concern about not
    following science. If confirmed, do you commit to ensuring that
    USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service follows sound and
    effective science?
        Dr. Brashears. Thank you, Ranking Member Klobuchar.
    Absolutely. I am entering this position as a scientist. I will
    leave as a scientist and maintain that integrity.
        Senator Klobuchar. Thank you very much. As you and I talked
    about, FSIS has fewer employees, 700 fewer employees now than
    it had in 2024. That is about an eight percent loss in staff,
    although most of its staff are already located outside the
    region. The reorganization plan does not address how it will
    affect the staff members that are here. FSIS has lost about 700
    people, as I mentioned, and on top of that, USDA is planning to
    reorg the agency into four hubs.
        Dr. Brashears, are you concerned about employee retention
    of key employees, including food safety experts, those who help
    coordinate foodborne illness outbreaks, and how are you going
    to respond to that if and when you get in the job?
        Dr. Brashears. Yes, thank you again. If confirmed, I will
    definitely be working with universities. I have a really strong
    network of food safety professionals who are turning out
    graduate students and even undergrads, and we will be working
    with them to make them aware of jobs in the government.
    Typically, those are not the first ones that students think
    about, so recruitment is going to be important.
        Retention is also important to me in maintaining a positive
    work environment, listening to the employees, and I will be
    open to that. If confirmed, it will be a priority for me.
        Senator Klobuchar. Very good. Again, I just think getting
    back some of these employers or rehiring, hiring new ones, is
    going to be really critical in addition to the partnerships.
        The Food Safety Inspection Service is responsible for
    ensuring that foreign trading partners meet the high standards
    of our domestic food safety parameters. With the
    Administration's recent proposal to drastically increase
    imports of beef from Argentina, if confirmed, will you commit
    to conducting a new audit to ensure the safety of any potential
    new beef imports?
        Dr. Brashears. Thank you again. Yes, we have 100 percent
    inspection at the border, and I do think that it is important
    that if that is increased, that we ensure that safety, we have
    enough people at the border and audit them and make sure they
    are meeting the standards, because we will not compromise food
    safety.
        Senator Klobuchar. Thank you. I am not going to go into my
    whole issues with all the beef when we have beef here, but I
    thought that was a very important question to ask, given the
    numbers, the exponential increase that the Administration is
    looking at for Argentinian beef.
        In 2009, you and I talked about this: a Salmonella outbreak
    in peanut butter led to nine deaths, including one in
    Minnesota. I got very involved, worked with Senator Isakson at
    the time because the company involved in this, that people were
    later prosecuted, was located in Georgia, and he rose to the
    occasion, and we worked together to have these Centers of
    Excellence on foodborne illnesses. If confirmed, will you
    commit to working alongside with other public health agencies--
    and I know you talked about the universities and your
    relationships--but also the FDA and CDC to investigate and
    protect consumers?
        Dr. Brashears. Yes, ma'am, absolutely. That is a very
    critical part of this role.
        Senator Klobuchar. Okay. Thank you. Representative Herrell,
    I appreciated our meeting. I think you know, not just from me,
    but from other Members, that there are several requests for
    information that our office and our staff and other offices
    have made to the Office of Congressional Relations. We have not
    received a response yet. This includes specific requests that I
    made for information about the reorganization, as well as
    popular programs like the Regional Conservation Partnership
    Program and the Rural Energy for America Program. If confirmed,
    will you commit to working with me and my staff to get
    responses to these requests expeditiously?
        Ms. Herrell. Yes, Ranking----
        Senator Klobuchar. Thank you.
        Ms. Herrell. Yes, Ranking Member, I do.
        Senator Klobuchar. Will you commit to answering the
    requests of other Members as well in an expeditious manner?
        Ms. Herrell. Yes. In fact, I believe that would be the
    priority for this department, to create better relationships
    with all the Members and their staff and to share the
    information that I know each of you will need for your
    constituencies.
        Senator Klobuchar. Okay. Very good. The USDA did not notify
    Congress in advance of the reorganization announcement.
    Moreover, despite repeated Republican and Democratic requests
    for a bipartisan shutdown briefing, common practice in the
    past, USDA only provided a briefing to the Republican staff. To
    our knowledge, that has not happened in the past. Congress did
    not receive the advance notice, and so I talked with you about
    this. Obviously, you were not there. If confirmed, will you
    commit to providing bipartisan briefings, including prior to
    significant public announcements by the Department?
        I just--this Committee continues to function in some very
    difficult times. We just passed a bunch of important bills and
    have nothing but civility among the Members on this Committee,
    and I thank the Chairman for that. It seems to me like not
    notifying any of us about the reorg plan and then, which was
    major for half the employees in the USDA in Washington for us,
    knowing that we will not have people in the room where it
    happens if it happens.
        Second, the idea that we were not even briefed on the
    shutdown plan when in the past they have was very troubling to
    us. It just does not reflect the tone or the relationships or
    what has been going on in this Committee, including a number of
    our Democratic Members supporting not just bills, but also some
    of the nominees that have been put forward by the
    Administration.
        My question is, if confirmed, will you commit to providing
    bipartisan briefings, including prior to the significant public
    announcements by the Department, as has been done in the past?
        Ms. Herrell. Yes, Ranking Member. I said in my opening
    statement that is one of the areas I really want to focus on is
    ensuring that you have the information necessary, not after the
    fact, but before. If confirmed, I look forward to sitting down
    with the Secretary and my staff and then being able to share
    some of the missing pieces with this Committee and with the
    Member offices so that we can all be on the same page moving
    forward.
        Senator Klobuchar. Thank you.
        Mr. Walk, I know you have held career positions under both
    Republican and Democratic Administrations--we talked about
    that--but you have only held political or policy leadership
    roles under President Trump. How will you maintain the
    necessary objectivity required to conduct meaningful oversight
    as an Inspector General?
        Mr. Walk. Ranking Member, thank you for that question. I
    will follow all laws and regulations regarding conflicts of
    interest and impairments of judgment, which applies to federal
    employees. I will also make sure that we review and apply all
    applicable professional standards, including what is provided
    in the Yellow Book, and as well as the AICPA, as well as
    judicial rules to make sure that we have auditor independence
    as well as investigative independence.
        Senator Klobuchar. If confirmed, your office will conduct
    audits, evaluations, or investigations of programs or policies
    that you helped put in place. How will you handle any conflicts
    of interest?
        Mr. Walk. Ranking Member, thank you for that question. I
    would--again, I would follow all rules related to conflicts of
    interest within the Federal Government, and I will also rely on
    the advice of counsel. We also have an Office of Compliance and
    Integrity, which makes sure that we are following all
    professional standards, and I will make sure that I consult as
    appropriate with that office as well.
        Senator Klobuchar. Thank you. I have gone over my time, and
    my colleagues are waiting, and I will put the rest in writing,
    and I will also direct questions to your four daughters. No, I
    am kidding.
        Mr. Walk. Thank you.
        [Laughter.]
        Chairman Boozman. Senator Ernst.
        Senator Ernst. Thank you, Chairman Boozman and Ranking
    Member Klobuchar, and welcome to our witnesses here today.
        No doubt there is an awful lot going on at USDA, and we
    really do need capable leaders who can keep the momentum going.
    I appreciate your willingness to serve in this capacity and
    look forward to hearing your plans on how USDA can continue to
    effectively support our farmers and remain accountable to the
    American people.
        Dr. Brashears, I am going to start with you. Pork
    production is a major part of Iowa's ag economy, and the new
    swine inspection system, which was developed in 2019, was
    designed to modernize inspection, improve food safety, and give
    farmers more processing choices. Unfortunately, in 2021, there
    was a court ruling that halted implementation nationwide on
    grounds that USDA failed to deliver and consider worker safety.
    In response, USDA allowed six plants to participate in a time-
    limited trial. Under Biden's USDA, that process was stalled for
    years with no good reason.
        The third-party research group known as the Pulse Team took
    far too long to finish its works, despite repeated calls from
    me and others on this Committee, urging then-Secretary Vilsack
    to quickly complete the study. Earlier this year, the Pulse
    Team finally did confirm what we knew all along, which was that
    increased line speed does not harm worker safety. I am thankful
    that Secretary Rollins announced USDA is moving forward with
    higher line speeds nationwide, and that will expand beyond
    those original six plants that participated in the trial.
        Dr. Brashears, should you be confirmed, will you make
    finalizing this rule a priority and ensure it is science-based,
    transparent, and provides long-overdue certainty to our pork
    producers?
        Dr. Brashears. Thank you so much for that question. If
    confirmed, this will be one of my top priorities. I had the
    honor of moving that forward in the first--the first time I was
    in the office, and I want to see it finalized, so absolutely.
        Senator Ernst. That is great. I can tell you that folks
    back home--and my family had been a pork-producing family years
    ago--they are ready for the USDA to finish this job, and I look
    forward to supporting your confirmation. Thank you.
        Mr. Walk, we have previously discussed my oversight of
    USDA's property footprint and utilization, and I am so grateful
    that Secretary Rollins took action on my recommendations right
    away, bringing employees back to work and relocating portions
    of the Department closer to farm country.
        Chairman Boozman and I have also tasked the USDA's Office
    of Inspector General with reviewing this issue because the
    American people deserve to know how their taxpayer-funded
    buildings are sitting mostly empty. Just look around downtown
    D.C. at the ag buildings. My hunt for federal property savings
    is nationwide, and my Disposal Act and the For Sale Act will
    facilitate expedited sales of unused federal office space and
    will return the savings to the taxpayers. I think we will agree
    that it is impossible for USDA to effectively serve rural
    America if its offices are ghost towns, especially here in
    Washington, DC.
        This also makes Congress' job harder, especially when
    crafting a farm bill. Lawmakers and taxpayers deserve timely,
    actionable answers from our agencies. Mr. Walk, if confirmed,
    will you commit to wrapping up and releasing the OIG's
    outstanding report on USDA building utilization? I will add,
    Chairman Boozman and I, when we submitted this, it was 19
    months ago. Would you commit to that?
        Mr. Walk. Thank you, Senator. I do.
        Senator Ernst. Very easy. Thank you for that very succinct
    response.
        I look forward as well to serving with you, Representative
    Herrell. We appreciate your service in Congress, and I look
    forward to working with you when you are confirmed. Thank you.
        I yield back.
        Chairman Boozman. Thank you.
        Senator Smith.
        Senator Smith. Thank you. Thank you, Chair Boozman and
    Ranking Member Klobuchar, and welcome to all of our nominees
    today.
        Mr. Walk, I am going to direct my questions to you today,
    and I want to start by asking you about tribal relations. The
    United States of America has legal trust and treaty obligations
    to tribal nations, and all federal agencies have a
    responsibility to uphold these government-to-government
    relationships with tribes. As you know, this includes formal
    tribal consultation. USDA, honestly, does not have the best
    track record working with tribes, and I do not make this as a
    partisan comment because this has been true under Republican
    and Democratic Administrations. For many years, this Committee
    has, in a very bipartisan way, instructed the Department,
    regardless of who the President is, to do better in this
    regard.
        Mr. Walk, you did not mention in your testimony that you
    are currently serving, I believe, as Acting Head of the USDA
    Office of Tribal Relations, and so I am interested in learning
    a bit more about your work in that role and how you see this
    important government-to-government relationship with tribal
    nations.
        Mr. Walk. Thank you, Senator. That is correct. About
    September, first week of September, I took over the acting
    responsibilities of the Office of Tribal Relations. While I was
    at FNCS for a brief time, I was actually the consulting
    official on the FDPIR program and went out to Arizona to
    consult with tribal governments, and I certainly understand the
    importance of tribal relations and the treaty obligations that
    we have. Just--in fact, just about two weeks ago, I accompanied
    the Deputy Secretary to Denver to consult with both Indian--I
    am sorry, both tribal governments and Alaska Native Corporation
    leaders on the reorganization of USDA and how that would impact
    tribal governments. We also held a separate consultation here
    in Washington, DC. We are expecting for comments to come in
    within that 30-day period.
        I do say that I am not expected to be the permanent lead in
    that office, but I have had conversations with our tribal
    liaisons and so forth and do understand that our history in
    terms of taking formal consultations with the importance that
    it deserves has not been where it should be over time. I am
    speaking in terms of USDA in general----
        Senator Smith. Yes.
        Mr. Walk [continuing]. and we do hope to address that.
        Senator Smith. Well, I think that is important. I want to
    just follow up. You mentioned the Food Distribution Program,
    FDPIR, as we----
        Mr. Walk. Yes.
        Senator Smith [continuing]. strangely call it. I assume you
    oversaw those consultations. As you no doubt know, the FDPIR
    distribution program has had some serious issues, and as
    Inspector General, you very well may could be called on to
    investigate some of those issues. I am wondering how you would
    handle that in your role as Inspector General, having had this
    interaction with the program and this acting role, would you
    see any conflict there?
        Mr. Walk. Senator, I do not see conflict there. My--again,
    my primary experience with the FDPIR program has been as the
    consulting official, but we also had some work around the Paris
    Brothers Warehouse situation. I believe I briefed the staff
    about--there was a cyber incident there that we had to----
        Senator Smith. Okay.
        Mr. Walk [continuing]. work with, and I made it clear to
    our staff that we were not going to fail our tribal governments
    again with respect to that warehouse to make sure that food was
    delivered on time and with the kind of quality that is
    deserved.
        Other than that, I do not think I had a significant role in
    the FDPIR program, but of course, conflicts of interest are
    very fact-specific, and I would look at the facts of what the
    investigation might be and what my role was and work in terms
    of our professional standards to see if that is something I
    should step out of.
        Senator Smith. Mr. Chair, I am out of time now, but I do
    have a question to direct to Dr. Brashears. I will submit that
    to you and ask for your response in writing. It has to do with
    the work that I believe we can do with tribes to improve work
    around meat processing, something of great interest to tribes,
    especially those that are diversifying into bison, buffalo
    herds. I will follow up with my question to you directly.
        Dr. Brashears. Okay. Thank you.
        Senator Smith. Thank you.
        Chairman Boozman. Thank you. We appreciate you bringing up
    the food distribution amongst the tribes. That is certainly
    something that I think everybody on the Committee is very
    concerned about.
        Senator Marshall.
        Senator Marshall. Well, thank you, Chairman, and welcome to
    our nominees. We look forward to supporting you across the
    finish line. I think I will start with Dr. Brashears. Any
    friend of Congressman Arrington's is a friend of mine, and I
    just want to give him the pistols up sign. It is not quite as
    powerful as a Wildcat power cat, but it would be one of my
    favorite places to visit as well, quite a university.
        Dr. Brashears. Thank you.
        Senator Marshall. Let us start by talking about ultra-
    processed foods. Many of us are concerned that they negatively
    impact people's health. Not that I am asking you to give the
    definition, but how important would it be for us to figure out
    a definition, and are there any particular components you are
    looking for?
        Dr. Brashears. Sure. I think--oh, thank you so much for the
    question, Senator. I do agree that we have to have some
    guidelines around this, and I think, especially with regard to
    meat and poultry products, one of the things that has to be
    addressed is the nutritional value. Of course, with regard to
    food safety, we do need some of the chemicals and some of the
    processing to maintain food safety. If you think about things
    like beef jerky, meat sticks, sometimes that goes in the
    BackPack programs, but we need to be transparent to the
    consumer, and we need for them to understand, and we will
    continue to work with FDA on those definitions and to champion
    the cause for our consumer.
        Senator Marshall. Great. Thank you for that answer.
        One of my big goals is always to help small processing
    plants to help farmers and ranchers meet local producers, and
    farmers, ranchers--more my ranchers--to allow their products to
    go across state line as well. Recently, USDA stated that they
    will ``provide additional guidance on requirements for very
    small meat processors serving local markets that ease
    compliance while maintaining safety,'' safety first. What can
    you do? What is your vision of helping some of those smaller
    packing plants in particular?
        Dr. Brashears. I have spent my career working with the
    small and very small meat industries, so it is definitely a
    passion of mine. Many times, they are lacking the technical
    expertise, so connecting them with trade associations or
    university extension offices where they can get that technical
    expertise. Also, USDA consumer safety officers, whenever I was
    previously in this position, we had dedicated a portion of
    their time to provide technical assistance to the small and
    very small processors. That will be important, as well as
    having small plant roundtables to understand what their needs
    are, where they can come, and we listen to them. I personally
    like to participate in those, so I stay on top of the needs so
    our agency can meet those needs, and I am committed to that.
        Senator Marshall. Thank you. Mr. Walk, let us turn to you.
    The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, I am sure you are
    familiar in Manhattan, Kansas, home of the mighty fighting
    Wildcats, has fallen behind. Do you have a commitment to look
    into that, investigate the challenges, and then hopefully hold
    somebody accountable? Mr. Walk?
        Mr. Walk. Senator, yes, I appreciate that question. There
    are serious issues with NBAF, and as a former employee of DHS,
    I certainly understood that there were problems on that side as
    well. The issues of biosecurity is essential, particularly in
    today's environment, and we need to make sure we have a
    biocontainment lab at that level, and we need to figure out
    what went wrong there. Yes, I--that is something that I want to
    make sure I watch.
        Senator Marshall. You will follow up with us as that
    investigation pursues, as the law allows?
        Mr. Walk. Senator, I will.
        Senator Marshall. Okay, let us go to Ms. Herrell for a
    second here. I love your experience working with FFA and 4-
    H'ers as well. This is a--so often we look at things in silos
    up here. Certainly, Make America Healthy Again is very
    important to me. This Rural Health Transformation Fund is a
    priority for us as well, regenerative agriculture. It is not
    three different issues. To me, it is all one issue. I think
    that if we can educate the FFA'ers and 4-H'ers on the
    importance of Make America Healthy Again, regenerative
    agriculture, and through them, you help educate our fathers and
    mothers and grandmothers and grandfathers how important this
    regenerative agriculture is, precision agriculture is to just
    not the soil health, but the waters of the land as well. What
    could you do to help promote that communication and education
    so that more farmers and ranchers are focusing on soil health
    and water safety as well?
        Ms. Herrell. Thank you for that question. It is a very good
    one. I think there are so many people in our country that do
    not understand the importance of agriculture. Just with the
    meeting I had with Senator Justice, being able to come back and
    message. Where we work together is coming to your office,
    understanding some of the needs in the different states, the
    challenges, but then collectively put together some messaging,
    some kind of conversation that we can have publicly, both with
    producers and farmers, but also with the general public. I
    believe that will be part of our goal in terms of OCR.
        I would like to kind of change the face or how OCR is
    viewed so that we can be more of a resource in terms of helping
    to message and meet with these FFA'ers and these 4-H'ers around
    the country and give them--equip them with the tools they need
    to have those conversations within their circles.
        Senator Marshall. You know, inasmuch as my generation in
    grade school were educated about tobacco, we went home and told
    our parents, please quit smoking.
        Ms. Herrell. Right.
        Senator Marshall. I think we can do the same thing,
    reaching our youth and saying, please reach out to your fellow
    producers out there and say, please, our water is not healthy
    in some situations. Our soil is not healthy. That would be my
    vision. Thank you.
        Ms. Herrell. Yes, Senator. Thank you.
        Senator Marshall. Thank you so much, Chairman. I yield.
        Chairman Boozman. Thank you, Senator Marshall.
        Senator Durbin. Yes, sir. I am sorry. I am mumbling.
        Senator Durbin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thanks to the
    nominees.
        Dr. Brashears, I spent most of my career in Congress trying
    to get a single food safety inspection agency and explain the
    alphabet soup that we currently have. I wish you good luck in
    the next year that I am here. I will help you if I can.
        There is another topic that you have been engaged in that
    is near and dear to my heart, and that is known as the line
    speed rule. When I was working my way through college, I spent
    four months working in a slaughterhouse in East St. Louis,
    Illinois, Hunter Packing Company, now later John Morrell, and I
    learned what it was to work the line on the kill and the cut. I
    am sure you know the difference.
        Dr. Brashears. Yes, sir.
        Senator Durbin. The kill, of course, is when the hog meets
    its fate and ultimately ends up in a chilled room to be carved
    up the next day.
        We had a union contract, and the union contract said that
    we were expected to process on the kill 225 hogs an hour. That
    was a pretty busy day, 1,800 hogs at the end of the day. I
    worked on that line, and I learned a lot. It was hot. It was
    loud. There were 240-pound hogs rushing through there, one
    every 15 seconds. It was dangerous as hell. People I worked
    with collapsed on the job, some were mauled by the machinery,
    and a lot of them were hurt. Some of the sharpest knives I have
    ever seen in my life were used by these men and women as part
    of their daily work, and they had the scars to show for it.
        Your experience in this issue is one I want to explore for
    a minute. It sounds to me like the decision has been made by
    the Trump Administration to ignore the court ruling and to move
    forward with line speeds, which are unimaginable. What about
    the safety of the workers? Has that been taken into
    consideration?
        Dr. Brashears. Thank you so much, and thank you for putting
    context with your question, Senator. I really appreciate it.
    We--I am committed to moving forward with the modernization and
    listening to the results of the study, and if confirmed, we
    will move forward with the modernized inspection system.
        However, we are--the agency is very committed to worker
    safety and providing safe working conditions not only for the
    workers in the plant as well as for our inspectors. In the
    report and in the response from USDA, you will--you can see
    from the publicly available information, the industry is urged
    to look at the results of that report because, as you
    mentioned, the jobs can be difficult and demanding, and it
    urges the industry to look at the report and to develop best
    practices that can be followed by the industry, including knife
    sharpening, providing medical care, encouraging workers to take
    time off, and also maintaining our relationship with OSHA will
    be very important.
        Senator Durbin. Let me ask you a specific question. In
    March of this year, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary
    Rollins announced that FSIS will extend waivers allowing pork
    and poultry facilities to maintain higher line speeds, and USDA
    will no longer require plants to submit redundant worker safety
    data, citing two recent studies they commissioned about line
    speeds and worker safety. Is the Department backing off this
    issue of safety?
        Dr. Brashears. Well, as you know, OSHA oversees worker
    safety, and FSIS will oversee the food safety of the product.
        Senator Durbin. In terms of the safety and the plant and
    the speed of the line, that was a decision you worked on in the
    Department of Agriculture, is not it?
        Dr. Brashears. The--I was not involved in that decision. I
    have not been in the agency or been at the table for that
    decision-making.
        Senator Durbin. Thank you very much.
        Mr. Walk, it is unfair to think that we can ask any hard
    questions with your cheering section behind you and your lovely
    daughters and your family----
        Mr. Walk. Thank you, Senator.
        Senator Durbin [continuing]. but I am going to ask you this
    question. President Trump's decision to fire Inspectors
    General, all 18 firings without providing any rationale, would
    put any new Inspector General in a position to worry about the
    job security of the undertaking. Can you tell me what you think
    about the firing of all these Inspectors General at one time by
    President Trump?
        Mr. Walk. Senator, I would say that the IG Act authorizes
    the President to remove Inspectors General at will.
        Senator Durbin. Of course, there was a requirement in the
    law of notifying Congress in advance and the reason for the
    firing, and that was not complied with. Does that concern you?
        Mr. Walk. Senator, I would say that that issue, in fact,
    the entire issue that our previous IG is a named plaintiff in a
    case specifically against USDA, so I cannot opine on that
    particular issue because it is an issue that was in the case--
    or is in the case.
        Senator Durbin. I will make one last point. On January 25,
    I joined the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck
    Grassley, in sending a letter notifying President Trump that he
    did not provide the rationale for Congress and thus had not
    followed the law in the firings of these Inspectors General.
    That was in January. We have not received any satisfactory
    response from President Trump on those firings. I would say if
    we are going to have a law, the President should be required to
    follow it. Thank you.
        Chairman Boozman. Senator Schiff.
        Senator Schiff. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Mr. Walk, during your time as Acting Deputy Under Secretary
    at FNS, the agency demanded that states provide USDA with
    personal data belonging to tens of millions of SNAP recipients
    and applicants. This information includes names, birthdays,
    addresses, Social Security numbers, and immigration status. The
    guidance also states that USDA has the authority to disclose
    any of this personal data to any government entity they deem
    necessary, including foreign governments. Mr. Walk, can you
    tell us what the legal authority is that USDA is relying on to
    collect, store, and share the personal data of tens of millions
    of Americans, including Social Security numbers, home
    addresses, simply because they received or applied for SNAP
    benefits?
        Mr. Walk. Senator, I appreciate that question. My
    understanding is there were four requests for state data--for
    state recipient data. One of the requests was made in May, and
    so I was at FNCS. As I recall, I had no involvement in drafting
    or issuing that particular request, but I was aware of what was
    going on. I would say--I know that there is a lawsuit brought
    by numerous Attorneys General, and I hesitate to give my
    opinion in terms of what that authority might be because I--
    the--that may be an issue in the case.
        Senator Schiff. Mr. Walk, if confirmed, are you committed
    to reviewing this policy independently, objectively, to ensure
    that it does not violate federal privacy laws, which protect
    Americans' personal data and identities?
        Mr. Walk. Senator, I appreciate that question. I will say
    that I think the collection of data itself is something that we
    need to look at in general. As a 24-year federal employee, I
    certainly understand the privacy implications and that we have
    laws that protect data throughout the information lifecycle
    from collection to transmission, to storage, to disposal, and I
    will--and I want to make sure that as we use those--the data
    technologies, which carries promise, that we also make sure
    that we deploy them in a way that abides by the law.
        Senator Schiff. I think part of the challenge that many of
    us have is the Inspectors General across the Federal Government
    were fired. No cause was provided. No notice was provided. We
    need those positions to be people of independence and the
    strength of character to blow the whistle if something is going
    on that is inappropriate, unethical, or unlawful. Were you to
    determine that either this policy, this collection of data
    violated the law, or some other practice did, are you prepared
    to inform Congress that the agency is operating in violation of
    law or ethics?
        Mr. Walk. Senator, the Inspector General Act requires that
    the Inspector General keeps Congress currently and fully
    informed of all deficiencies and problems in its operations, so
    I will follow that statute.
        Senator Schiff. Is the answer yes, then? If you were to
    find this policy or another policy in violation of the law,
    would you inform Congress?
        Mr. Walk. Senator, yes, I would fulfill my obligation to
    Congress.
        Senator Schiff. You would inform Congress?
        Mr. Walk. If--I would inform Congress of our findings, yes.
        Senator Schiff. Okay. You seem reluctant to make that
    commitment. It should not be difficult. If you discover there
    is a violation of the law going on and you are required by
    statute to inform Congress, you should inform Congress, and
    there should not be any hesitation about it.
        Let me just ask briefly in the time that I have left, Ms.
    Herrell, thank you for being here today and for meeting with my
    staff. Senator Smith and I, along with other Members of the
    Committee, sent a letter to USDA inquiring about the nature of
    canceled grants according to a June 17 departmental
    announcement. I am deeply concerned that these cancelations
    have directly impacted farmers in my state and other states and
    adversely impacted their ability to sustain and grow their
    businesses. We have yet to receive a response. Can you assure
    our offices that we will get an answer to that inquiry and
    others that we direct to you?
        Ms. Herrell. Yes, thank you, Senator. In my opening
    remarks, I had mentioned that it is the priority to be
    responsive. Responsiveness has to be the first priority for OCR
    because we need to be working collaboratively so that you have
    correct information to share with your constituents. I,
    myself--you were not here at the time. I, myself, as a Member
    of the House, had inquired a letter--had a letter of inquiry
    over to OCR, and it took over 600 days for a response,
    completely unacceptable. I understand the importance of getting
    this information to you quickly. I believe we can modernize the
    way we are responding. If confirmed, again, the responsiveness
    will be our first priority to ensure you have the information
    you need.
        Senator Schiff. Thank you.
        I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
        Chairman Boozman. Senator Lujan.
        Senator Lujan. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. Thank you
    for having me today. Congresswoman Herrell, it is good to see
    you here. I understand Fran made the journey.
        Ms. Herrell. She did.
        Senator Lujan. Welcome as well, Fran. Yesterday, when I
    spoke with Yvette, she shared with me you were coming on behalf
    of the whole family, so you have a lot of responsibility on
    behalf of the whole family there as well. Welcome. I hope your
    journey was a good one. Do you think the Congresswoman is doing
    okay?
        I am sorry if I am out of bounds, Mr. Chairman, asking
    folks in the audience questions. I will come back home here.
    Representative----
        Chairman Boozman. That is more fun.
        Senator Lujan. I am sure you have had lots of good
    questions today, one asked by my colleague from California
    about making yourself available.
        Ms. Herrell. Yes.
        Senator Lujan. That is where my questions always are. I
    mean, we come from the same state where we are a big family.
    Now, like all families, sometimes there is a disagreement, but
    you are family, and you work to make things better.
        As you know, I have your phone number. You have mine. You
    have reached out to me when issues have been going on in parts
    of New Mexico that need attention. I think it surprised you
    when I gave you a holler back. We were able to make a big
    difference. That is my question here is, when confirmed, will
    you commit to be responsive, answer questions from colleagues
    in this body, regardless of Democrat or Republican, regardless
    of party? It is about home. It is about making a difference. Is
    that something you can commit to?
        Ms. Herrell. Senator, yes, absolutely. I did enjoy our
    conversation yesterday. In the opening statement, I believe
    that I said this, actually, that policy should be rising above
    partisanship. In my opinion, USDA and the programs here should
    not be based on politics. Yes, the priority for me is to ensure
    that we have a working relationship with Members and staff. I
    would like to overhaul it. I would like to see more of OCR on
    the Hill, attending meetings, and then understanding the
    priorities from each Member office so that we can be quick in
    our responsive and respective of what your responsibilities are
    to your constituencies.
        Senator Lujan. I respect that very much. With some of the
    recent announcements around FSA and whether some folks are
    going to be working, some folks not, they may have been moved
    around. I know that a lot of farmers and ranchers are reaching
    out to me. They probably were still reaching out to you as
    well. Just who do I talk to? I have this pending, I need a
    decision, I need to figure out if I am going to sell the
    cattle, if I am going to buy more cattle, what I am going to do
    with grain, whatever it is.
        Ms. Herrell. Right.
        Senator Lujan. That is why this all matters. In the end,
    when we are doing constituent services, which is something we
    are proud of in New Mexico, we have to be able to find someone
    so we can talk to them and get that done, so I appreciate that.
        Now, in New Mexico, Representative Herrell, as you know, we
    grow a lot of specialty crops, whether it is our chile. I do
    not know if there is anyone here from Colorado, but you are
    welcome because your chile came from New Mexico, so I will just
    leave it at that. Whether it is chile, pecans, pistachios,
    whatever our specialty crops are, yes or no, will you commit to
    making sure USDA policies do not leave specialty crop producers
    behind?
        Ms. Herrell. Yes.
        Senator Lujan. Mrs. Brashears, can I ask you that same
    question?
        Dr. Brashears. Yes, sir.
        Senator Lujan. Mr. Walk?
        Mr. Walk. Yes, sir.
        Senator Lujan. Well, there you go. I appreciate that.
        Mr. Chairman, we are going to hold them accountable when we
    get those specialty crop conversations going, so I appreciate
    that.
        Ms. Herrell, as you know, ranchers in New Mexico and across
    the country, they are being squeezed right now because it is
    hard to be able to get those cattle, that beef to a processing
    facility. You know, they go to an auction house. They may
    acquire them there. The law right now says at that auction
    place, they cannot process.
        Ms. Herrell. Right.
        Senator Lujan. They have to load them in a truck and, you
    know, in a state like New Mexico, if there is drought and they
    do not hit weight, it is dangerous for those cattle to be put
    on a car and make it somewhere else. Can I count on you to work
    with myself, Senator Ernst, who is leading the legislation, to
    remove barriers for small and local producers? Will you commit
    to being a partner in that work with your role at USDA?
        Ms. Herrell. Senator, yes, absolutely.
        Senator Lujan. I appreciate that.
        Mr. Chairman, just in my closing remarks here, I do not
    mean to be partisan, and so I hope it does not come across that
    way. There is a food program right now called SNAP,
    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, that it would close
    down for the first time in our Nation's history, even though
    there is $5 billion sitting in a fund already for the Secretary
    of Agriculture to tap into. I was surprised to learn that,
    because of some of the rules that we have in place around
    tariffs--and this goes back to not just the policy that pushes
    transfers of $3 billion a year into food programs, but there is
    actually $23 billion on top of the $5 billion that could be
    used to transfer under Section 32 with tariff money.
        There has been a lot of back and forth there is not enough
    money for these food programs and whatnot. I hope that we can
    work together. I have a piece of legislation I have introduced.
    Senator Hawley has a piece of legislation he has introduced
    here. Just so that we are speaking about fact, not fiction,
    what money is available, what money is not, what can be done,
    what could not be. I certainly hope for the good of all of the
    people that we love, some of those that we do not know in our
    states, when it comes to getting a meal, that we do not allow
    this year to be the first year that this program might close.
        For whatever that is worth, Chairman, I am praying about
    it. A lot of people across the country are praying about it.
    God willing, we will find a good place to get this done. I look
    forward to your confirmation.
        Representative Herrell, if there is a vote, I look forward
    to supporting you. If there is a voice vote, I will be
    screaming loud. Thank you for being here. Not to take away from
    anyone else, but we are a little partial to our brothers and
    sisters from New Mexico.
        I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
        Chairman Boozman. Thank you. Senator Warnock.
        Senator Warnock. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Lujan, I am also praying about this----
        Senator Lujan. Amen.
        Senator Warnock [continuing]. these SNAP recipients. There
    is a Ghanaian proverb that says, when you pray, move your
    feet----
        Senator Lujan. Amen.
        Senator Warnock [continuing]. so we need to be praying with
    our lips and our legs and make sure we do not have hungry folks
    in this wealthiest country on the planet.
        Mr. Walk, before you were Senior Advisor to Secretary
    Rollins--and welcome to the Committee. Before you were----
        Mr. Walk. Thank you, Senator.
        Senator Warnock [continuing]. Senior Advisor to Secretary
    Rollins, you were USDA's Acting Deputy Under Secretary for
    Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. Is that correct?
        Mr. Walk. Yes, Senator.
        Senator Warnock. This includes the USDA office primarily
    charged with managing food assistance programs, correct?
        Mr. Walk. Senator, that is correct.
        Senator Warnock. This office also administers the Emergency
    Food Assistance Program, which provides food to partners on the
    ground, including food banks, correct?
        Mr. Walk. Yes, Senator.
        Senator Warnock. Mr. Walk, as acting head of this office,
    did you participate in any way in carrying out this
    Administration's nutrition policy of abruptly canceling $500
    million or about 94 million pounds of food headed toward our
    food banks and meant to feed hungry Americans? Yes or no?
        Mr. Walk. Senator, no, I was not.
        Senator Warnock. You were not involved in that at all?
        Mr. Walk. No.
        Senator Warnock. This was food intended for food banks in
    Georgia. I am in touch with these banks. It is interesting to
    me that you said you are not involved at all because when we
    sent a letter to the Secretary asking for more information
    about this decision, this decision to abruptly cancel the food
    bank lifeline that Congress had approved on a bipartisan basis,
    we sent a letter to the Secretary asking questions about this.
    You said you were not involved, but you responded. You
    responded on her behalf with a letter calling this food bank
    support ``a slush fund.'' Those were your words.
        Mr. Chairman, I request consent to enter this May 2025
    letter signed by the nominee into the hearing record.
        Chairman Boozman. Without objection.
        [The letters can be found on pages 36-37 in the appendix.]
        Senator Warnock. Mr. Walk, do you still stand by your
    categorization of the Emergency Food Assistance Program as a
    ``slush fund''?
        Mr. Walk. Senator, I would have to go back and look. I do
    not have an awareness----
        Senator Warnock. You are not aware of your own letter?
        Mr. Walk. Senator, as I sit here, I do not remember that.
        Senator Warnock. I mean, that is a pretty serious
    accusation that funds intended to go to food banks to support
    hungry people is a slush fund. The letter is in the record, but
    the nominee does not remember the letter that he wrote.
        Food banks in Georgia disagree with that characterization,
    I will tell you that. They tell me that canceling this federal
    support has made it harder to feed hungry Georgians and has
    meant that more families and children in Georgia go hungry.
        To add injury on top of injury, not just insult to injury,
    this coming weekend, because Republicans in Congress are
    pitting people who need healthcare against people who need
    food, and sometimes those are the same people, 1.4 million
    Georgians are about to lose SNAP. That is 1 in 8 Georgians,
    folks who sent me here to represent them and their families.
    They are facing this this weekend, and it is putting even more
    strain on our depleted food banks, who were robbed of $500
    million because it was deemed a slush fund, even as children go
    to bed hungry, God forbid, in the next few days.
        Mr. Walk, are you aware of USDA's SNAP contingency fund?
    Yes or no? Yes or no, are you aware of it?
        Mr. Walk. Sir, I am aware of that, yes.
        Senator Warnock. Are you aware that USDA, despite
    bipartisan demands from Congress, is refusing to use that fund
    to help keep food assistance going to families after Saturday?
    Yes or no?
        Mr. Walk. Senator, my understanding is that is now in
    litigation and----
        Senator Warnock. Right, it is in litigation because the
    Administration is refusing to use the funds, correct? It would
    not be in litigation if the Administration would just use the
    $5 billion that is available to use, correct, on top of the
    other funds that my colleague just referred to?
        Mr. Walk. Sir, that is a claim in litigation, and because
    it is in litigation, it is not something that I can speak to.
        Senator Warnock. It is in litigation because these are
    decisions that the Trump Administration that the USDA is making
    in real time. They are deciding to pit hungry people against
    sick people, and I think that is immoral. There is nothing
    legally stopping the Administration from making Emergency Food
    Assistance funds that they are just sitting on available for
    Georgia kids and families in November.
        As I bring this to a close, Mr. Chairman, look, our parties
    have a disagreement, obviously. Here is where we are. Even as
    we debate what to do about these ACA subsidies, it is
    indisputable that the USDA, under the Trump Administration, is
    choosing to pull hungry children into this fight. They are not
    just in this fight. They are being pulled into this fight, used
    as pawns for short-term political gain. I think it is deeply
    immoral, and I think we can certainly do better than that.
        Mr. Chairman, I yield.
        Chairman Boozman. Thank you.
        I guess the only thing I would say, the easiest thing to do
    would be to end the shutdown and pass a clean CR.
        With that, thank you again to Dr. Brashears, Representative
    Herrell, and Mr. Walk for appearing before the Committee, and
    to our Committee Members for their participation in today's
    hearing. Also, we always want to thank our people that actually
    made this work, our staffs on both sides who do such a
    tremendous job.
        With that, today's hearing is now adjourned. Thank you.
        [Whereupon, at 4:29 p.m., the Committee was adjourned.]

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                                A P P E N D I X

                                October 29, 2025

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