[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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
October 29, 2025
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