President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the U.S. Department of Agriculture said during his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday that the U.S. Forest Service’s efforts to fight California’s wildfires should not be influenced by politics.
In response to questions from a Senate committee, candidate Brooke Rollins also acknowledged that Trump’s plans for mass deportations and tariffs could create hardship for the agricultural industry, but that Trump’s election is It said it shows support for such action.
President Trump nominated Rollins, who also served in his first administration, to head the vast agency that oversees agriculture, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition. If confirmed, Rollins would be appointed Agriculture Secretary at a time when many farmers are experiencing a drop in profits and the Forest Service is battling a spate of wildfires in Southern California. It will become.
In light of President Trump’s threat to withhold federal disaster aid from Los Angeles unless California officials change how they manage the state’s water resources, California Sen. I asked Mr. Rollins if he would promise me good treatment.
“Are we going to put the same emergency resources into fighting wildfires in blue states as we do wildfires in red states?” Schiff asked.
Rollins responded that he does not support discrimination against any state.
“Obviously, since you asked, I can say 100% yes,” Rollins said. “Whether you’re from a red state or a blue state, it was heartbreaking for all of us to see the devastation in our beautiful state.”
Mr. Rollins, 52, is a lawyer from Texas who served as the Trump administration’s domestic policy chief during his first term and is currently the president and CEO of the American First Policy Institute. The institute is contributing to planning for the second Trump administration. She graduated from Texas A&M with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural development and then earned a law degree from the University of Texas.
Schiff and other Democrats on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee also asked Rollins about President Trump’s plan to illegally deport people in large numbers. They pointed out that a high proportion of people who harvest crops or work on dairy farms could be suddenly deported, creating a huge labor shortage.
Rollins said he supports President Trump’s policies but acknowledged they could be difficult for American farmers.
“The president’s vision of secure borders and mass deportations on a significant scale is one I support,” Rollins said.
Rollins said while he supports the president’s planned actions, he also supports efforts to hire more workers, such as increasing the effectiveness of the Temporary Immigrant Farm Worker Program.
“This is my pledge, if confirmed, to help President Trump effectively implement his policies while protecting our nation’s farmers and ranchers.” she stated.
Democrats as well as Republicans have raised the issue of tariffs, with President Trump saying he would impose tariffs to encourage foreign investors to bring manufacturing to the United States and force policy changes on other countries.
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet (D) said farmers and ranchers see little prospect of improving their economic situation other than by expanding exports. Mr. Bennett implored Mr. Rollins to insist to Mr. Trump that higher tariffs would undermine efforts to expand exports.
Rollins said he always represents the needs of farmers and ranchers.
“My role is to sit around the table in the Oval Office through an interagency process to advocate for, honor and uplift the entire agricultural community and ensure that every decision made over the next four years is mindful of that decision. “It’s made like that,” Rollins said.
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