[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 118 (Tuesday, July 11, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2296-S2298]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   Nomination of Xochitl Torres Small

  Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, it is good to see you, and it is good to 
see my colleague John Cornyn here in the Senate today, all the pages, 
and folks who came back to go to work. There is a lot of work to do.
  One of the first items of business before us is a critical 
nomination, a nomination for the Department of Agriculture--and not 
just any job at the Department of Agriculture but the No. 2 job, the 
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture.
  The person who has been nominated is a woman who serves currently as 
the Under Secretary at the Department of Agriculture, and she has been 
nominated to be the Deputy Secretary for the Department. She has a hard 
name to pronounce, and it is a name I have never seen before. It sounds 
something like this: So-cheel, like S-O, cheel, like C-H-E-E-L. You 
look at it down on paper, and you say: How would you pronounce that 
name? That is the way to pronounce it.
  But the rest of her name is Torres Small. She is somebody I have 
known

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for a relatively brief period of time. You know who knows her really 
well? It is a guy who used to serve with us for many years, a Senator 
from New Mexico, Tom Udall. In fact, as I recall, I think she actually 
worked for Tom Udall when he was a U.S. Senator.

  Agriculture is a hugely important part of our economy in Delaware. I 
see Senator Stabenow is going to speak immediately after me. I know it 
is hugely important in Michigan. As she is the chairman of the Ag 
Committee, she knows that much better than I do.
  The Department of Agriculture, the No. 2 job--huge industry, 
important in every State in our country. This is a big deal. This is a 
big deal. As it turns out, the administration has given us a terrific 
nominee.
  The Department of Agriculture plays a critical role in ensuring that 
people from every corner of this country have something to eat--
hopefully, something nutritious to eat--and also helps us with respect 
to farming and farming agriculture and farming economy, public health, 
broadband, and a whole lot more.
  And the role of the Deputy Secretary of the Department is a big deal, 
a very big deal. It requires someone who is diligent. It requires 
someone who is sharp. It requires someone who ultimately understands 
the Department. It is a big department. It requires someone who is 
diligent, and I know that Under Secretary Torres Small possesses all of 
those qualities and a whole lot more. In her current position as the 
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development, she has been 
involved with every function of the Department, including overseeing 
the deployment of $2 billion for rural broadband that was secured in 
the bipartisan infrastructure law that we passed here by almost a 
unanimous vote more than a year ago.
  This month, we saw States across our country receive this significant 
funding to expand broadband access for literally millions of people in 
many parts of our Nation--rural parts of our Nation--including 
Delaware's own Sussex County, one of the largest counties in the 
country. We only have three counties in Delaware. The second largest is 
Sussex. It is one of the top counties in the country for growing corn 
and soybeans, and it is one of the top counties in the country for 
growing chickens. We have, in Delaware, over 200 chickens for every 
person. So it is a big deal for us, big deal for us.
  Prior to serving at the Department of Agriculture, Under Secretary 
Torres Small has had a history of serving her country. She was a U.S. 
Representative for New Mexico's Second Congressional District, where 
she grew up as--get this--a granddaughter of farmworkers.
  As a U.S. Representative, she served as a member of the House 
Agriculture Committee, among other committees, and previously spent 
time on the ground in New Mexico, as I mentioned earlier, as a field 
rep for our old friend and colleague Senator Tom Udall, who is now the 
U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand.
  I talked to him about a month ago, and, I say to Senator Stabenow, he 
thinks he has the best job on the planet. If the Senator talked to him, 
she will know what I mean.
  But Xochitl is also an accomplished attorney, practicing water and 
natural resources law, and served as a former clerk in the U.S. 
District Court for a fellow named Judge Robert C. Brack. All these 
experiences help make her well suited to take on the role of Deputy 
Secretary because I know that she understands our Nation and 
understands this on a human level as well.
  That was made especially clear during her nomination hearing. Under 
Secretary Torres Small spoke of her goals to better communicate through 
the role of the Department across our country so that programs are 
deployed more efficiently, more effectively, more humanely. She also 
highlighted how she will work to support underserved producers and 
small farmers by raising awareness of the Federal resources that they 
may be eligible for.
  So, in closing, before yielding to Senator Stabenow, I strongly urge 
our colleagues to confirm Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small as the 
Deputy Secretary for the Department of Agriculture. She will make us 
proud. She will make New Mexico proud. She will make our country proud.
  With that, I will just stop talking and yield the floor to Senator 
Stabenow.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I have to first note--and I appreciate 
so much Senator Carper's comments--but from the smallest State that 
claims agriculture to our distinguished Presiding Officer from the 
largest State that has agriculture, to my State of Michigan, which is 
second only to California in the diversity of crops that we grow, I 
think we all stand here committed to the importance of growing things 
in America, this economic engine, supporting small towns, supporting 
rural development and quality of life.
  So I am really pleased, as chair of the Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry Committee, today, to know that we will be confirming Xochitl 
Torres Small as the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. Ms. Torres Small's 
impressive and wide-ranging resume makes her an ideal appointee to help 
lead the more than 100,000 public servants at the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, and they are stationed in over 4,500 locations all across 
the country and all across the world.
  Her predecessor in this role, Jewel Bronaugh, was instrumental in 
helping to restore one of the Department's key functions: serving our 
constituents on the ground in the communities in which they work, live, 
and farm. A trailblazer like Ms. Torres Small, Ms. Bronaugh was the 
first woman of color to hold the Deputy position at the USDA, and we 
very much appreciated her leadership. I have every confidence that Ms. 
Torres Small is up to the important task and will lead with great skill 
and competence.
  The granddaughter of farm workers, Ms. Torres Small grew up in the 
borderlands of New Mexico. She began her career working for Senator Tom 
Udall, clerking for a U.S. district court judge, and practicing water 
and natural resources law.
  Ms. Torres Small was the first woman and first person of color to 
represent New Mexico's Second Congressional District, which is the 
fifth largest district in the country.
  She has most recently served as the Under Secretary for Rural 
Development, a position to which she was confirmed unanimously by the 
Senate just 2 years ago. As Under Secretary, Ms. Torres Small proved 
herself to be a staunch advocate for rural communities.
  It was through her leadership that USDA Rural Development secured $2 
billion to support rural broadband through the bipartisan 
infrastructure law, making USDA the first Federal Agency to invest 
these funds in physical infrastructure for high-speed internet. I want 
to stress that they were the first dollars out the door in terms of 
taking dollars to small communities across the country for critically 
needed high-speed internet. By moving swiftly to make rural development 
funding available, USDA reduced energy costs for farmers and small 
businesses.
  Last year, Congress made the largest investment in rural electric 
since the New Deal. Under Ms. Torres Small's stewardship, USDA has been 
a leader in delivering those benefits to our local communities. She 
worked tirelessly to increase rural communities' access to programs and 
improve customer services at regional offices across the country. And, 
importantly, she championed USDA's workforce, improving staff morale 
and building out data and technology.
  Ms. Torres Small enjoys broad support from over 80 stakeholders, 
including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, 
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Grocers Association, 
Western Growers, National Association of State Departments of 
Agriculture, U.S. Apple Association, the Rice Association, and on and 
on, as well as the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
  I am also pleased that Ms. Torres Small enjoys broad support in this 
Chamber, and she was advanced unanimously out of our committee.
  The role of Deputy Secretary of Agriculture is not only critical to 
overseeing the Department's efforts to improve its workforce but also 
improving customer service, which I know she is laser-focused on. The 
Deputy Secretary position is also vital to our work as we continue to 
draft a bipartisan farm bill.

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  Ms. Torres Small's confirmation is a great opportunity for the Senate 
to show that we can work together in a bipartisan manner.
  Ms. Torres Small has a proven track record as a strong leader with 
deep knowledge of farm, food, and rural policy. I know she will serve 
the Department and the American people well in her new position, and I 
urge my colleagues to support her confirmation.
  I yield the floor.