Hearings to examine the nominations of Mindy Brashears, of Texas, to be Under Secretary for Food Safety, Stella Herrell, of New Mexico, to be an Assistant Secretary, and John Walk, of Virginia, to be Inspector General, all of the Department of Agriculture.

1[Senate Hearing 119-175]2[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]34                                                        S. Hrg. 119-17556                  NOMINATIONS OF MINDY BRASHEARS, STELLA7                        YVETTE HERRELL, AND JOHN WALK89=======================================================================1011                                HEARING1213                               BEFORE THE1415                       COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE,16                        NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY1718                          UNITED STATES SENATE1920                    ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS2122                             FIRST SESSION2324                               __________2526                            October 29, 20252728                               __________2930                       Printed for the use of the31           Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry3233[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]3435                  Available on http://www.govinfo.gov/3637                                __________3839                   U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE4061-814 PDF                  WASHINGTON : 20254142-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------4344           COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY4546                    JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas, Chairman47MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky            AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota48JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota            MICHAEL F. BENNET, Colorado49JONI ERNST, Iowa                     TINA SMITH, Minnesota50CINDY HYDE-SMITH, Mississippi        RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois51ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas               CORY BOOKER, New Jersey52TOMMY TUBERVILLE, Alabama            BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico53JAMES C. JUSTICE, West Virginia      RAPHAEL WARNOCK, Georgia54CHARLES GRASSLEY, Iowa               PETER WELCH, Vermont55JOHN THUNE, South Dakota             JOHN FETTERMAN, Pennsylvania56DEB FISCHER, Nebraska                ADAM SCHIFF, California57JERRY MORAN, Kansas                  ELISSA SLOTKIN, Michigan5859               Fitzhugh Elder IV, Majority Staff Director60                  Corey Weber, Majority Chief Counsel61                    Jessica L. Williams, Chief Clerk62                Lauren Santabar, Minority Staff Director63                 Chu-Yuan Hwang, Minority Chief Counsel6465                           C O N T E N T S6667                              ----------6869                      Wednesday, October 29, 20257071                                                                   Page7273Hearing:7475Nominations of Mindy Brashears, Stella Yvette Herrell, and John76  Walk...........................................................     17778                              ----------7980                    STATEMENTS PRESENTED BY SENATORS8182Boozman, Hon. John, U.S. Senator from the State of Arkansas......     183Klobuchar, Hon. Amy, U.S. Senator from the State of Minnesota....     28485                                WITNESS8687Brashears, Mindy, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture88  for Food Safety................................................     589Herrell, Yvette, of New Mexico, to be an Assistant Secretary of90  Agriculture....................................................     791Walk, John, of Virginia, to be Inspector General, Department of92  Agriculture....................................................     893                              ----------9495                                APPENDIX9697Prepared Statements:98    Brashears, Mindy.............................................    2899    Herrell, Yvette..............................................    30100    Walk, John...................................................    32101102Document(s) Submitted for the Record:103Boozman, Hon. John:104    National Chicken Council, National Pork Producers, National105      Turkey Federation, and Meat Institute in support of Mindy106      Brashears, letter of support...............................    34107    United Council on Welfare Fraud in support of John Walk,108      letter of support..........................................    35109Warnock, Hon. Raphael:110    Letter submitted by Raphael Warnock..........................    36111Durbin, Hon. Richard:112    Letter submitted by Richard Durbin...........................    38113Fetterman, Hon. John:114    Letters submitted by John Fetterman..........................    40115116Brashears, Mindy:117    Committee questionnaire, Office of Government Ethics118      Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure119      Report and 5-day letter filed by Mindy Brashears...........    58120121Herrell, Yvette:122    Committee questionnaire, Office of Government Ethics123      Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure124      Report and 5-day letter filed by Yvette Herrell............   164125126Walk, John:127    Committee questionnaire, Office of Government Ethics128      Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure129      Report and 5-day letter filed by John Walk.................   197130131Question and Answer:132Brashears, Mindy:133    Written response to questions from Hon. Amy Klobuchar........   228134    Written response to questions from Hon. John Fetterman.......   229135    Written response to questions from Hon. Tina Smith...........   230136    Written response to questions from Hon. John Hoeven..........   231137    Written response to questions from Hon. Raphael Warnock......   231138    Written response to questions from Hon. Adam Schiff..........   232139Herrell, Yvette:140    Written response to questions from Hon. Amy Klobuchar........   234141    Written response to questions from Hon. Raphael Warnock......   235142    Written response to questions from Hon. Peter Welch..........   235143    Written response to questions from Hon. John Fetterman.......   235144    Written response to questions from Hon. Adam Schiff..........   236145Walk, John:146    Written response to questions from Hon. Amy Klobuchar........   237147    Written response to questions from Hon. John Fetterman.......   239148    Written response to questions from Hon. Ben Ray Lujan........   240149    Written response to questions from Hon. Peter Welch..........   244150    Written response to questions from Hon. Cory Booker..........   245151    Written response to questions from Hon. Adam Schiff..........   248152    Written response to questions from Hon. Raphael Warnock......   259153154  NOMINATIONS OF MINDY BRASHEARS, STELLA YVETTE HERRELL, AND JOHN WALK155156                              ----------157158                      WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2025159160                                        U.S. Senate161          Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry162                                                    Washington, DC.163    The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 3:03 p.m., in164Room 106, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. John Boozman,165Chairman of the Committee, presiding.166    Present: Senators Boozman [presiding], Hoeven, Ernst,167Marshall, Klobuchar, Bennet, Smith, Durbin, Lujan, Warnock, and168Schiff.169    Also present: Representative Arrington.170171   STATEMENT OF HON. BOOZMAN, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF172 ARKANSAS, CHAIRMAN, U.S. COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION,173                          AND FORESTRY174175    Chairman Boozman. Good afternoon and welcome. It is my176privilege to call this hearing to order.177    Today, we will consider the nomination of Dr. Mindy178Brashears to serve as Under Secretary of Food Safety,179Representative Stella Yvette Herrell to serve as Assistant180Secretary of Agriculture for Congressional Affairs and External181Relations, and Mr. John Walk to serve as Inspector General of182the Department of Agriculture. We welcome all of you to the183Committee and congratulate you on the nominations. Thank you184for your willingness to serve.185    Starting with Dr. Brashears, the work of the food safety186mission is one of the most consequential responsibilities of187USDA. Ensuring the safety of U.S. food supply is critical and188extraordinarily complex. Dr. Brashears knows this well, having189led this mission area through the pandemic, one of the most190challenging times in the history of our food supply chain.191Sound science must continue to be the foundation of our food192safety regulatory system. This is essential to deliver193confidence and certainty to consumers, producers, processors,194and our trading partners.195    Our food safety systems must also continue to adapt and196modernize to best protect public health, as well as support our197producers and processors who rely on federal and state198inspection services to deliver a safe, efficient food supply. I199was pleased earlier this year USDA extended the line speed200waivers for the pork and poultry processors after years of201duplicative study confirmed what decades of research already202indicated, and I look forward to hearing more about the203Department's work to develop a long-term program consistent204with the latest scientific advancements.205    This Committee's work to expeditiously advance Dr.206Brashears' nomination will help us ensure Food Safety and207Inspection Service remains the gold standard worldwide for208meat, poultry, and egg product safety.209    Now, to Representative Herrell, the Office of Congressional210Affairs and External Relations serves as a vital link between211the Department and Congress. Members and their staff rely on212this office for timely information, technical assistance,213oversight support, and to elevate and find solutions to214constituent priorities. This relationship is key to carrying215out our shared goal of supporting farmers, ranchers, and rural216communities. As a former Member of Congress, Representative217Herrell most certainly understands this.218    Finally, Mr. Walk, the Office of the Inspector General is219responsible for conducting oversight and ensuring the proper220administration of USDA's nearly 300 programs. Any incident of221fraud, waste, or misuse of government funds is certainly222unacceptable, and the IG's office plays an essential role in223preventing these incidents and addressing such issues. A224proactive and attentive Inspector General is essential to225protecting the integrity of USDA and ensuring good stewardship226of taxpayer dollars.227    I want to again congratulate Dr. Brashears, Representative228Herrell, and Mr. Walk on their nominations. I look forward to229hearing how they will use their prospective roles to serve and230benefit American agriculture and the American people.231    With that, I now turn to our Ranking Member and partner,232Senator Klobuchar.233234  STATEMENT OF HON. KLOBUCHAR, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF235                           MINNESOTA236237    Senator Klobuchar. All right. Thank you very much, Mr.238Chair. Welcome to Dr. Brashears, as well as Representative239Herrell and Mr. Walk. I have met with all three of you over the240last week or so, and thank you for being with us.241    I also see that Representative Arrington is here, and thank242you for being here.243    I would also like to welcome all of your families. I know244that Dr. Brashears' family members, colleagues, students, and245friends are with us, including her husband, Todd, her246daughters--everyone is a doctor--Dr. Todd Brashears, Dr. Bailey247Brashears, Dr. Reagan Brashears, and Presley.248    I would also like to welcome Representative Herrell's249family here, her sister, Fran, as well as Mr. Walk's wife,250Ruth, and his four daughters, who appear to be in the front251row. Am I right? Okay. Grace, Hannah, Joanna, and Phoebe. Thank252you all for being here.253    The nominees before us will have crucial roles within the254USDA, and I look forward to today's discussion. We think we all255know there is a lot on our minds right now with the shutdown256and with our concern on SNAP. I want to thank Senator Lujan for257his work on that, but I am going to focus today on these258nominees.259    The Food Safety Inspection Service is charged with260protecting public health by ensuring the safety of the Nation's261meat, poultry, and egg supply. As we talked yesterday, the FSIS262is a key line of defense from dangerous pathogens like263Salmonella, and inspectors are hard at work. As Senator Smith264knows, our State of Minnesota is known for its work in this265area, with what was once called Team Diarrhea--we are not going266to go into that--but they are known for tracking down the267source of foodborne illnesses, and so we care a lot about this268and the work that goes on in this agency. I know Dr. Brashears269has served in this role before, and we look forward to hearing270about her experience and how she can use that experience from271the past for now.272    Congressional Relations, a portal for the information we273need to draft legislation, conduct oversight, and respond to274our constituents, we are concerned, as I noted to275Representative Herrell, about this reorg plan that came out276from the Department of Agriculture. Members on both sides of277the aisle have expressed concerns about that, and it was an278example where, with maybe some early discussions and someone in279place in Congressional Relations, perhaps it would have made a280difference, as well as getting our questions answered. We are281really focused on that, and I appreciated our meeting.282    Mr. Walk, as we discussed last week, the Congress relies on283the USDA Inspector General to be the cop on the beat at the284Department, keeping an eye out for fraud, waste, abuse, as well285as everything that goes on in that department. We are very286concerned about the mass firings of IGs across the287Administration, and it is more important than ever that the288independence and the integrity of the USDA's IG Office be289protected.290    Mr. Walk, we discussed that you had served in other roles291with this and the prior Trump Administration, and we had a good292discussion about the importance of independence in this role.293    I look forward to hearing about the vision that all of you294will bring to the USDA, and I look forward to hearing the295testimony.296    Thank you, Mr. Chair.297    Chairman Boozman. Thank you. We will now introduce our298nominees. I want to welcome Jodey Arrington, of Texas, to the299Committee, who is certainly more than well-known in300agriculture. We appreciate all of your hard work in so many301different ways, and he is going to be introducing our first302nominee.303    Mr. Arrington. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.304    Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar, and305distinguished Members of this Committee, it is both an honor306and privilege to introduce to you today a dedicated public307servant, world-class scientist, and true champion for rural308America and agriculture, and by the way, a very dear friend and309former colleague and proud fellow Red Raider--get your guns up,310Mindy--Dr. Mindy Brashears.311    She was raised on a cotton farm in Wheeler, Texas, and Mrs.312Brashears embodies the values of small-town USA. Hard work,313humility, and integrity, her academic credentials include a314Bachelor's Degree in Food Technology from Texas Tech and both a315master's and Ph.D. from Oklahoma State, whose Cowboys,316ironically, Mr. Chairman, lost a big football game to Texas317Tech last weekend, 42 to nothing, and that is for Mr. Markwayne318Mullin, if you would deliver that message for me, I would319appreciate it.320    Dr. Brashears is no stranger to this Committee. She was321confirmed for this role in the first Trump Administration,322where she led important reforms to modernizing the inspection323system, strengthening public health protections, and ensuring324that America's food supply remained the safest in the world, an325achievement that will no doubt continue under Mrs. Brashears'326strong leadership.327    Over the last several years, Dr. Brashears has served at my328alma mater, Texas Tech University, leading groundbreaking329research that has reduced E. coli and Salmonella in our food330supply. As one of the foremost experts in the world on food331safety, she has not only used her expertise to help the United332States but to support many of our allies around the globe.333    More important than her impressive accolades and334accomplishments, Mindy is a woman of deep faith and of great335character, and she is a devoted wife and mother, and like I336said earlier, a proud rural American. She and her husband, Dr.337Todd Brashears, who is also a professor at Texas Tech, have338raised three outstanding young ladies, Bailey, Reagan, and339Presley. Together, the Brashears family represents, in my340humble opinion, the very best of West Texas, a love for God and341people, a commitment to serving their community, and a passion342for all things agriculture and rural America. I assure you, Mr.343Chairman and Ranking Member, you will not find a more capable,344committed, and trustworthy leader for safeguarding America's345food supply.346    For these reasons, I proudly and unequivocally endorse the347confirmation of Dr. Mindy Brashears and urge your support for348her as the next Under Secretary for Food Safety at the United349States Department of Agriculture. Thank you for your350consideration, Mr. Chairman.351    I also served with Yvette Herrell, and just for your352indulgence, please, she is an outstanding person and patriot,353and she served this country with great distinction. My district354was contiguous with hers in eastern New Mexico. It is just like355one big, happy ag community out there. I am so excited for her356new venture at USDA if you all would endorse and confirm her,357and I certainly give my wholehearted recommendation for that358confirmation.359    With that, I yield back. Thank you.360    Chairman Boozman. Well, thank you, Representative361Arrington, very much for being here and providing such a warm362endorsement of Dr. Brashears, and then also your comments about363Yvette Herrell are very much appreciated, so thank you very364much.365    Our second nominee is Representative Stella Yvette Herrell.366Representative Herrell is nominated to be Assistant Secretary367of Agriculture for Congressional Affairs and External368Relations. She previously served in the House of369Representatives from 2021 to 2023, representing New Mexico's3702nd Congressional District. She also served eight years in the371New Mexico House of Representatives. Outside of her public372service, Representative Herrell has started several small373businesses and works as a real estate broker in New Mexico.374    Thank you, Representative Herrell, for appearing before the375Committee, and we look forward to hearing your testimony.376    Our third nominee is Mr. John Walk. Mr. Walk is nominated377to be Inspector General of the USDA. Mr. Walk has an extensive378career in federal service, starting as a congressional staffer379in the House of Representatives. After attending law school, he380went on to serve as an attorney at the Department of Homeland381Security and Associate Counsel to President Trump in his first382term. Mr. Walk joined USDA in 2020, where he has now served383across three Administrations as USDA's Judicial Officer.384    Earlier this year, Mr. Walk briefly served as the Acting385Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer386Services before being named Senior Advisor to the Secretary.387Mr. Walk received his bachelor's degree from Occidental College388and his J.D. from George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law389School.390    Thank you, Mr. Walk, for appearing before the Committee,391and we look forward to your testimony.392    Again, thank all of you for your willingness to serve and393being here. I will now administer the oath and then begin with394witness testimonies. Each witness will have five minutes.395Please stand and raise your right hand.396    Do you swear or affirm that the statements you are about to397provide is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the398truth, so help you God?399    Dr. Brashears. Yes.400    Ms. Herrell. I do.401    Mr. Walk. I do.402    Chairman Boozman. Do you agree that if confirmed, you will403respond to requests to appear and testify before any duly404constituted Committee of the Senate?405    Dr. Brashears. Yes.406    Ms. Herrell. Yes.407    Mr. Walk. Yes.408    Chairman Boozman. Very good. Thank you.409    Dr. Brashears, you are now recognized.410411 STATEMENT OF MINDY BRASHEARS, OF TEXAS, TO BE UNDER SECRETARY412                 OF AGRICULTURE FOR FOOD SAFETY413414    Dr. Brashears. Thank you so much.415    Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar, and Members of416the Committee, I thank you for inviting me here today to417testify before you. I am honored to be nominated by President418Trump and for the support of Secretary Brooke Rollins to be419considered for the position of Under Secretary of Agriculture420for Food Safety. I want to thank Congressman and good friend421Jodey Arrington for the kind introduction.422    If confirmed, I would be honored to serve the citizens of423the United States a second time in this position to ensure that424the United States maintains the safest food supply in the425world. I have dedicated my career to studying food safety and426focusing on the safety of the meat and poultry supply.427    Today, I am blessed to have many people here to support me.428My husband, Todd, my daughters, Bailey, Reagan, and Presley,429joining virtually, and my daughter-in-law, Victoria, along with430my mom, Becky, and many other family, friends, and colleagues.431    I have devoted my professional career preparing for this432role. I grew up on a farm in West Texas where I was raised, and433my parents instilled in me a love of agriculture and a strong434work ethic. I was active in FFA and 4-H in high school and went435to college on a Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo scholarship. I436hold a B.S. in Food Technology from Texas Tech and an M.S. and437Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University in Food Science,438specializing in food microbiology. I have spent 25 years as a439research scientist studying foodborne pathogens in meat and440poultry environments while simultaneously mentoring the next441generation of food safety leaders as a university professor.442    When I held the position of Under Secretary for Food Safety443in the first Trump Administration, I had the opportunity not444only to put my technical knowledge into practice, but also had445the chance to implement science-based food safety policies to446advance the mission of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection447Service. If confirmed into this position, it will be a top448priority for me to make decisions based on sound science and to449develop and implement policies that are scientifically strong450and practical and, most importantly, ones that will result in a451meaningful impact on public health outcomes.452    Some of my greatest accomplishments the first time in this453office were modernizing swine and egg inspection systems at454FSIS and establishing a culture of data-driven, science-based455decision making at the agency. I also oversaw programs such as456laboratory accreditation and spearheaded programs that improve457the efficiency of testing and sampling methods for the agency.458I was committed to strengthening our workforce through459recruitment programs at universities and vet schools.460Additionally, I developed a strong connection with other461agencies within USDA and across the government, including462collaborations with FDA and CDC.463    Since leaving the position the first time, I have spent the464past four years redirecting my research program at Texas Tech465to generate data that is practical to inform public policy. I466have been on the frontlines of food safety, which has provided467me with the firsthand knowledge to effectively lead the food468safety work at USDA.469    I have spent many days collecting samples in beef, pork,470and poultry plants, mapping pathogens such as Salmonella, E.471coli, and Listeria through the various stages of processing472from the lairage areas when the livestock first entered the473establishment to when the final product enters commerce. In our474research lab, we have developed new methods and interventions475to better understand and target key pathogens of concern. My476team and I have been laser focused on how to make the meat and477poultry supply safer for consumers.478    In addition to my professional experiences, my practical479life roles as a mother, a wife, and a daughter have given me480the strong perspective of a consumer. Additionally, my faith in481God is the foundation for decision-making in my life. I want to482thank Him for my family, my education, and experiences, and483this opportunity that has been placed before me. Ultimate484wisdom comes from above, and I will rely on this personally and485professionally.486    Members of the Committee, I appreciate the time you have487taken to be here today. I am humbled by the nomination, and I488would be honored to serve as Under Secretary. My experience and489technical expertise have prepared me for this role, and if490confirmed, I will make data-driven decisions to ensure food491safety of the U.S. meat, poultry, and processed egg supply.492    Thank you for your time today and for considering me for493this important role. I look forward to answering your494questions.495    [The prepared statement of Dr. Brashears can be found on496pages 28-29 in the appendix.]497    Chairman Boozman. Thank you, Dr. Brashears.498    Representative Herrell.499500  STATEMENT OF STELLA YVETTE HERRELL, OF NEW MEXICO, TO BE AN501               ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE502503    Ms. Herrell. Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar,504and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to505appear before you today. I am also grateful to the committee506staff and everyone who worked diligently on the paperwork,507interviews, and meetings in preparation for this hearing. I508want to thank my sister for making the trip out, and I hope my509parents are watching online.510    I am honored by President Trump's nomination to serve as511Assistant Secretary for the Office of Congressional Relations512at USDA. If confirmed, I look forward to working closely with513this Committee to communicate policy ideas, solutions, and514resolutions not only to Members and staff on Capitol Hill, but515also to USDA leadership and stakeholders.516    Preparing for this process has allowed me to reflect on my517own path. I grew up in rural New Mexico, active in 4-H and FFA,518raising livestock and working on our small family ranch. Those519experiences grounded me in the realities of agriculture, and I520developed a profound understanding of how and where our food521sources come from. I have a deep appreciation for our farming522and ranching entities as well as the natural resource523industries that shoulder the risks, while at the same time524provide the stewardship necessary to keep our lands productive525for future generations.526    I have long believed that agriculture should be a place527where policy rises above partisanship. Good ideas deserve a528fair hearing regardless of which party proposes them, and if529confirmed, my goal is to bridge gaps, earn trust on both sides530of the aisle, and ensure information flows quickly, accurately,531and consistently.532    Throughout my career, whether serving New Mexicans or533operating small businesses, relationships have been the534constant. I have worked at USAA as a policy service specialist,535owned and operated several small businesses like Holiday536Kennels and Alamo Earthwork and Paving. I am a licensed537associate real estate broker. I served in the New Mexico House538for eight years and later in the U.S. House of Representatives.539In each role, listening first, then following through, built540the partnerships that make problem-solving possible. At almost541every point in my career, the relationships I cultivated proved542paramount to my success.543    Public service also means being there when people are544hurting. I have volunteered across the country with Habitat for545Humanity and Hands of Grace, including after Hurricane Katrina546in Louisiana and during tornado season in Nebraska--helping547families clean up, rebuild, and find their footing. Those548experiences taught me to work shoulder-to-shoulder with people549from every background to keep compassion at the center of every550decision.551    Constituent Services is where promises become performance.552In Congress, my office handled more than 2,800 constituent553requests with a 98 percent resolution rate because timely,554accurate communication is not a courtesy, it is our duty. If555confirmed, my first priorities at USDA will be to strengthen556the Office of Congressional Relations' responsiveness,557modernize our communication and IT workflows where needed, and558give every Member and staffer a clear, fast lane to the559information and assistance they need.560    Beyond responsiveness, I am committed to enhancing561transparency and accountability by establishing predictable562response timelines, clear points of contact, and consistent563performance metrics to ensure that no request is overlooked.564    I also want to acknowledge Senator Ben Ray Lujan, my fellow565New Mexican and colleague, I appreciated working within the566House and across our state. Senator, thank you for your567partnership on issues that matter to New Mexico's farmers,568ranchers, Pueblos, Tribes, and rural communities. I look569forward to continuing that collaboration from this new role,570should I be confirmed.571    I have also heard a common concern in my meetings with572Members and staff. Timely, reliable information must be the573norm and not the exception. If confirmed, I will implement574clear service standards for congressional inquiries and expand575proactive briefings on emerging issues.576    Several of you have also raised the broader challenge of577public understanding. Agriculture is a foundational--is578foundational to our economy, national security, and way of579life, but too often misunderstood. I was grateful for a580thoughtful conversation with Senator Justice about the need for581better outreach and clear accessibility, and messaging. I582commit to working with the Senator and Members of this583Committee to elevate practical, bipartisan narratives that584reflect the daily realities of producers and rural communities.585    Finally, I want to reiterate my commitment to ethical586conduct, transparency, and fidelity to congressional intent.587The Office of Congressional Relations should be the most588trusted front door into USDA for every Member, staffer, and589stakeholder. My pledge is simple. Listen carefully, respond590quickly, and work relentlessly until the job is done.591    Thank you, Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar,592Members, and staff for your time and consideration. If593confirmed, I will be honored to partner with you to serve594America's farmers, ranchers, foresters, and rural families with595the urgency and respect they deserve. Thank you.596    [The prepared statement of Ms. Herrell can be found on597pages 30-31 in the appendix.]598    Chairman Boozman. Thank you very much.599    Mr. Walk.600601 STATEMENT OF JOHN WALK, OF VIRGINIA, TO BE INSPECTOR GENERAL,602                   DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE603604    Mr. Walk. Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar, and605distinguished Members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture606and Nutrition and Forestry, thank you for the opportunity to607address my nomination for Inspector General of the United608States Department of Agriculture. I am joined by my wife, Ruth,609and our four daughters, Grace, Hannah, Joanna, and Phoebe. I am610grateful they are at my side, and with humility, I express my611deepest thanks to President Trump for his nomination to this612very important role.613    Transparency that enables accountability is fundamental to614our democratic system of government and necessary to the615preservation of liberty. Like at other federal departments, the616American people must have the means to acquire knowledge about617the work of USDA as part of their exercise of self-government.618Inspectors General perform a crucial function to promote619transparency by informing the public of waste, fraud, and abuse620in the administration of federal programs, that is essential621for the American people to hold government accountable for its622decisions and conduct.623    At USDA, the Department is entrusted with stewarding more624than $200 billion of taxpayer funds annually and manages more625than 300 programs in support of farmers, ranchers, and the626American public. USDA authorities include farm programs, rural627development, agriculture research, food safety, nutrition,628trade promotion, animal and plant health, forest management,629animal welfare, disaster response, federal benefits programs,630including SNAP and WIC, and other important areas. It is631critical for USDA's OIG to shine a bright light on the many632activities of the Department and its management of resources so633that USDA carries out its mission effectively and efficiently634and with due accountability to the American people.635    If confirmed, I will assume the responsibilities of636Inspector General with the benefit of nearly 25 years of637federal experience from my entry-level roles to senior638leadership positions. My federal service began as a records639clerk at the Department of Justice while I was still in high640school. After graduating from college, I served as a staffer in641the House of Representatives for more than five years.642Following law school in 2008, I entered the career civil643service through the Department of Homeland Security's Honors644Attorney Program. During my eight years at DHS, I provided645legal counsel to ensure the Department exercised its646authorities in compliance with all legal requirements to secure647our homeland while maintaining the constitutional rights of648Americans.649    At DHS, I was also involved in litigating numerous federal650lawsuits alleging claims for legal violations and investigated651many allegations against the agency and its employees.652    Immediately after DHS, I was honored to serve President653Donald J. Trump for nearly four years during his first term as654Associate Counsel at the White House Counsel's Office.655    After my service at the White House, I began my tenure as656USDA's Judicial Officer, a job I still hold in addition to657Senior Advisor to the Secretary. As Judicial Officer, I am the658Department's appellate-level administrative judge deciding659formal agency adjudication, enforcing various USDA legal660authorities. As such, for nearly five years, I have served as661USDA's deciding official in administrative litigation under the662delegation of three Senate confirmed Secretaries of Agriculture663of both political parties. In this role, I exercise objective664and independent judgment to draw factual and legal conclusions665based on the evidence. It is a role that requires impartiality,666fairness, and fidelity to the law and facts as they are found667without regard to politics.668    If confirmed, I will approach the role of Inspector General669with the same objectivity and independent mindedness to expose670waste, fraud, and abuse as it is found. I would draw on my671almost quarter-century of service in the Federal Government to672carry out the oversight functions of this important role.673    You know, in the Bible, Jesus said, ``Nothing is hidden674except to be revealed, nor has anything been secret but that it675would come to light.'' That is exactly as it should be in676government. Given the opportunity to serve as IG, I will work677tirelessly to bring the work of the USDA into the light,678keeping USDA leadership, Congress, and ultimately the American679people, fully informed of deficiencies and problems in the680Department's administration of its programs to strengthen681transparency and public accountability.682    Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to683your questions.684    [The prepared statement of Mr. Walk can be found on pages68532-33 in the appendix.]686    Chairman Boozman. Thank you, and thank all of our witnesses687for providing their testimony today. We will now begin with one688round of questions. Each Member will have five minutes.689    Before I ask my questions, I would like to add letters of690support from various stakeholders for Dr. Brashears,691Representative Herrell, and Mr. Walk's nomination into the692record. Without objection, so ordered.693    [The letters can be found on pages 34-35 in the appendix.]694    Chairman Boozman. Dr. Brashears, addressing Salmonella is a695key component of USDA's five-pronged plan announced earlier696this year to bolster food safety. This involves developing a697new Salmonella framework after significant concerns were raised698by stakeholders with the previous proposal. Based on your699extensive experience with this pathogen, how do you think we700can make progress in reducing the prevalence of Salmonella701illness?702    Dr. Brashears. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for that question.703I am very happy to answer this. I--Salmonella is one of my top704priorities. In--before I left this position previously, I705rolled out the Salmonella roadmap, and one of the foundational706principles on that--in that roadmap was making data-driven and707science-based decisions. As we know, there has been little708movement in Salmonella illnesses based on healthy people, 2020709goals, and so forth and so forth. However, the technology has710moved ahead to--for us to be able to identify highly pathogenic711Salmonella, and we need to start targeting the most pathogenic712strains of Salmonella.713    This work has actually been done at the U.S. Meat Animal714Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska, where they have715identified this, and it is being developed into rapid716methodologies. We will be focusing on the most pathogenic717Salmonella, and removing that from the food supply should have718an impact on our public health outcomes. Thank you.719    Chairman Boozman. Thank you.720    Mr. Walk, during the pandemic, the nonprofit organization721Feeding Our Future defrauded the Federal Government of over722$250 million, funds intended to feed kids through the Summer723Meals Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. While724the scheme was made public in 2022, last year, our Committee725learned that the USDA's OIG failed to act on multiple clear726warning signs, allowing the criminal acts of Feeding Our Future727to go unaddressed for years.728    The Justice Department has now issued over 50 convictions.729This situation could have been largely avoided had there been730proper oversight. That, I think, includes proper oversight from731this Committee, which is a function that is so important. Mr.732Walk, do you commit to ensuring your office will be attentive733and conduct thorough investigations into any fraudulent734activity related to USDA programs?735    Mr. Walk. Senator, I do, across all of our 300-plus736programs, yes.737    Chairman Boozman. Thank you very much. Representative738Herrell, as a former Member of Congress, you know the739relationship between the Department and Congress is vital. What740is your plan to work with offices to keep them informed and be741responsive to congressional inquiries? Again, in your past742post, you know how important this is and the difference that it743makes.744    Ms. Herrell. Yes, I do. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do. In745fact, as a Member of Congress, I myself had submitted a letter746of inquiry to OCR and waited over 600 days for a response. If747confirmed, I would like to get in and change the protocols. I748would like to create meetings more consistent with Members and749staff to understand their priorities and look at ways that we750can enhance the response programs. We could look at updating751some of our systems and the protocols that are certainly in752place now, but how can we update those and work collectively753with Members and the staff to ensure that the important754information each of you need is being distributed in a timely755fashion?756    Chairman Boozman. Very good. Dr. Brashears, in addition to757addressing Salmonella, can you briefly speak to some of your758other goals in returning to lead the food safety mission area759at USDA?760    Dr. Brashears. Yes, sir. Thank you again. In addition to761Salmonella, we have to stay focused on other pathogens,762specifically E. coli. We cannot forget about E. coli and763Listeria. As we know, there has been major issues with Listeria764in the past couple of years, so we will be focused on that.765    Beyond that, we have to make sure our workforce is strong766and recruit veterinarians into FSIS because our workforce is,767at least when I was there previously, and if confirmed, I will768be committed to developing programs with vet schools to recruit769and bring those vets into the agency.770    Chairman Boozman. Very good. Senator Klobuchar.771    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.772    I think I will start with you, Dr. Brashears. You are a773scientist with a respected academic position at a major774university, and I think you know FSIS has one of the most775critical roles within the Department with safety. Sadly, in776other agencies, there has been increasing concern about not777following science. If confirmed, do you commit to ensuring that778USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service follows sound and779effective science?780    Dr. Brashears. Thank you, Ranking Member Klobuchar.781Absolutely. I am entering this position as a scientist. I will782leave as a scientist and maintain that integrity.783    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you very much. As you and I talked784about, FSIS has fewer employees, 700 fewer employees now than785it had in 2024. That is about an eight percent loss in staff,786although most of its staff are already located outside the787region. The reorganization plan does not address how it will788affect the staff members that are here. FSIS has lost about 700789people, as I mentioned, and on top of that, USDA is planning to790reorg the agency into four hubs.791    Dr. Brashears, are you concerned about employee retention792of key employees, including food safety experts, those who help793coordinate foodborne illness outbreaks, and how are you going794to respond to that if and when you get in the job?795    Dr. Brashears. Yes, thank you again. If confirmed, I will796definitely be working with universities. I have a really strong797network of food safety professionals who are turning out798graduate students and even undergrads, and we will be working799with them to make them aware of jobs in the government.800Typically, those are not the first ones that students think801about, so recruitment is going to be important.802    Retention is also important to me in maintaining a positive803work environment, listening to the employees, and I will be804open to that. If confirmed, it will be a priority for me.805    Senator Klobuchar. Very good. Again, I just think getting806back some of these employers or rehiring, hiring new ones, is807going to be really critical in addition to the partnerships.808    The Food Safety Inspection Service is responsible for809ensuring that foreign trading partners meet the high standards810of our domestic food safety parameters. With the811Administration's recent proposal to drastically increase812imports of beef from Argentina, if confirmed, will you commit813to conducting a new audit to ensure the safety of any potential814new beef imports?815    Dr. Brashears. Thank you again. Yes, we have 100 percent816inspection at the border, and I do think that it is important817that if that is increased, that we ensure that safety, we have818enough people at the border and audit them and make sure they819are meeting the standards, because we will not compromise food820safety.821    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you. I am not going to go into my822whole issues with all the beef when we have beef here, but I823thought that was a very important question to ask, given the824numbers, the exponential increase that the Administration is825looking at for Argentinian beef.826    In 2009, you and I talked about this: a Salmonella outbreak827in peanut butter led to nine deaths, including one in828Minnesota. I got very involved, worked with Senator Isakson at829the time because the company involved in this, that people were830later prosecuted, was located in Georgia, and he rose to the831occasion, and we worked together to have these Centers of832Excellence on foodborne illnesses. If confirmed, will you833commit to working alongside with other public health agencies--834and I know you talked about the universities and your835relationships--but also the FDA and CDC to investigate and836protect consumers?837    Dr. Brashears. Yes, ma'am, absolutely. That is a very838critical part of this role.839    Senator Klobuchar. Okay. Thank you. Representative Herrell,840I appreciated our meeting. I think you know, not just from me,841but from other Members, that there are several requests for842information that our office and our staff and other offices843have made to the Office of Congressional Relations. We have not844received a response yet. This includes specific requests that I845made for information about the reorganization, as well as846popular programs like the Regional Conservation Partnership847Program and the Rural Energy for America Program. If confirmed,848will you commit to working with me and my staff to get849responses to these requests expeditiously?850    Ms. Herrell. Yes, Ranking----851    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you.852    Ms. Herrell. Yes, Ranking Member, I do.853    Senator Klobuchar. Will you commit to answering the854requests of other Members as well in an expeditious manner?855    Ms. Herrell. Yes. In fact, I believe that would be the856priority for this department, to create better relationships857with all the Members and their staff and to share the858information that I know each of you will need for your859constituencies.860    Senator Klobuchar. Okay. Very good. The USDA did not notify861Congress in advance of the reorganization announcement.862Moreover, despite repeated Republican and Democratic requests863for a bipartisan shutdown briefing, common practice in the864past, USDA only provided a briefing to the Republican staff. To865our knowledge, that has not happened in the past. Congress did866not receive the advance notice, and so I talked with you about867this. Obviously, you were not there. If confirmed, will you868commit to providing bipartisan briefings, including prior to869significant public announcements by the Department?870    I just--this Committee continues to function in some very871difficult times. We just passed a bunch of important bills and872have nothing but civility among the Members on this Committee,873and I thank the Chairman for that. It seems to me like not874notifying any of us about the reorg plan and then, which was875major for half the employees in the USDA in Washington for us,876knowing that we will not have people in the room where it877happens if it happens.878    Second, the idea that we were not even briefed on the879shutdown plan when in the past they have was very troubling to880us. It just does not reflect the tone or the relationships or881what has been going on in this Committee, including a number of882our Democratic Members supporting not just bills, but also some883of the nominees that have been put forward by the884Administration.885    My question is, if confirmed, will you commit to providing886bipartisan briefings, including prior to the significant public887announcements by the Department, as has been done in the past?888    Ms. Herrell. Yes, Ranking Member. I said in my opening889statement that is one of the areas I really want to focus on is890ensuring that you have the information necessary, not after the891fact, but before. If confirmed, I look forward to sitting down892with the Secretary and my staff and then being able to share893some of the missing pieces with this Committee and with the894Member offices so that we can all be on the same page moving895forward.896    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you.897    Mr. Walk, I know you have held career positions under both898Republican and Democratic Administrations--we talked about899that--but you have only held political or policy leadership900roles under President Trump. How will you maintain the901necessary objectivity required to conduct meaningful oversight902as an Inspector General?903    Mr. Walk. Ranking Member, thank you for that question. I904will follow all laws and regulations regarding conflicts of905interest and impairments of judgment, which applies to federal906employees. I will also make sure that we review and apply all907applicable professional standards, including what is provided908in the Yellow Book, and as well as the AICPA, as well as909judicial rules to make sure that we have auditor independence910as well as investigative independence.911    Senator Klobuchar. If confirmed, your office will conduct912audits, evaluations, or investigations of programs or policies913that you helped put in place. How will you handle any conflicts914of interest?915    Mr. Walk. Ranking Member, thank you for that question. I916would--again, I would follow all rules related to conflicts of917interest within the Federal Government, and I will also rely on918the advice of counsel. We also have an Office of Compliance and919Integrity, which makes sure that we are following all920professional standards, and I will make sure that I consult as921appropriate with that office as well.922    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you. I have gone over my time, and923my colleagues are waiting, and I will put the rest in writing,924and I will also direct questions to your four daughters. No, I925am kidding.926    Mr. Walk. Thank you.927    [Laughter.]928    Chairman Boozman. Senator Ernst.929    Senator Ernst. Thank you, Chairman Boozman and Ranking930Member Klobuchar, and welcome to our witnesses here today.931    No doubt there is an awful lot going on at USDA, and we932really do need capable leaders who can keep the momentum going.933I appreciate your willingness to serve in this capacity and934look forward to hearing your plans on how USDA can continue to935effectively support our farmers and remain accountable to the936American people.937    Dr. Brashears, I am going to start with you. Pork938production is a major part of Iowa's ag economy, and the new939swine inspection system, which was developed in 2019, was940designed to modernize inspection, improve food safety, and give941farmers more processing choices. Unfortunately, in 2021, there942was a court ruling that halted implementation nationwide on943grounds that USDA failed to deliver and consider worker safety.944In response, USDA allowed six plants to participate in a time-945limited trial. Under Biden's USDA, that process was stalled for946years with no good reason.947    The third-party research group known as the Pulse Team took948far too long to finish its works, despite repeated calls from949me and others on this Committee, urging then-Secretary Vilsack950to quickly complete the study. Earlier this year, the Pulse951Team finally did confirm what we knew all along, which was that952increased line speed does not harm worker safety. I am thankful953that Secretary Rollins announced USDA is moving forward with954higher line speeds nationwide, and that will expand beyond955those original six plants that participated in the trial.956    Dr. Brashears, should you be confirmed, will you make957finalizing this rule a priority and ensure it is science-based,958transparent, and provides long-overdue certainty to our pork959producers?960    Dr. Brashears. Thank you so much for that question. If961confirmed, this will be one of my top priorities. I had the962honor of moving that forward in the first--the first time I was963in the office, and I want to see it finalized, so absolutely.964    Senator Ernst. That is great. I can tell you that folks965back home--and my family had been a pork-producing family years966ago--they are ready for the USDA to finish this job, and I look967forward to supporting your confirmation. Thank you.968    Mr. Walk, we have previously discussed my oversight of969USDA's property footprint and utilization, and I am so grateful970that Secretary Rollins took action on my recommendations right971away, bringing employees back to work and relocating portions972of the Department closer to farm country.973    Chairman Boozman and I have also tasked the USDA's Office974of Inspector General with reviewing this issue because the975American people deserve to know how their taxpayer-funded976buildings are sitting mostly empty. Just look around downtown977D.C. at the ag buildings. My hunt for federal property savings978is nationwide, and my Disposal Act and the For Sale Act will979facilitate expedited sales of unused federal office space and980will return the savings to the taxpayers. I think we will agree981that it is impossible for USDA to effectively serve rural982America if its offices are ghost towns, especially here in983Washington, DC.984    This also makes Congress' job harder, especially when985crafting a farm bill. Lawmakers and taxpayers deserve timely,986actionable answers from our agencies. Mr. Walk, if confirmed,987will you commit to wrapping up and releasing the OIG's988outstanding report on USDA building utilization? I will add,989Chairman Boozman and I, when we submitted this, it was 19990months ago. Would you commit to that?991    Mr. Walk. Thank you, Senator. I do.992    Senator Ernst. Very easy. Thank you for that very succinct993response.994    I look forward as well to serving with you, Representative995Herrell. We appreciate your service in Congress, and I look996forward to working with you when you are confirmed. Thank you.997    I yield back.998    Chairman Boozman. Thank you.999    Senator Smith.1000    Senator Smith. Thank you. Thank you, Chair Boozman and1001Ranking Member Klobuchar, and welcome to all of our nominees1002today.1003    Mr. Walk, I am going to direct my questions to you today,1004and I want to start by asking you about tribal relations. The1005United States of America has legal trust and treaty obligations1006to tribal nations, and all federal agencies have a1007responsibility to uphold these government-to-government1008relationships with tribes. As you know, this includes formal1009tribal consultation. USDA, honestly, does not have the best1010track record working with tribes, and I do not make this as a1011partisan comment because this has been true under Republican1012and Democratic Administrations. For many years, this Committee1013has, in a very bipartisan way, instructed the Department,1014regardless of who the President is, to do better in this1015regard.1016    Mr. Walk, you did not mention in your testimony that you1017are currently serving, I believe, as Acting Head of the USDA1018Office of Tribal Relations, and so I am interested in learning1019a bit more about your work in that role and how you see this1020important government-to-government relationship with tribal1021nations.1022    Mr. Walk. Thank you, Senator. That is correct. About1023September, first week of September, I took over the acting1024responsibilities of the Office of Tribal Relations. While I was1025at FNCS for a brief time, I was actually the consulting1026official on the FDPIR program and went out to Arizona to1027consult with tribal governments, and I certainly understand the1028importance of tribal relations and the treaty obligations that1029we have. Just--in fact, just about two weeks ago, I accompanied1030the Deputy Secretary to Denver to consult with both Indian--I1031am sorry, both tribal governments and Alaska Native Corporation1032leaders on the reorganization of USDA and how that would impact1033tribal governments. We also held a separate consultation here1034in Washington, DC. We are expecting for comments to come in1035within that 30-day period.1036    I do say that I am not expected to be the permanent lead in1037that office, but I have had conversations with our tribal1038liaisons and so forth and do understand that our history in1039terms of taking formal consultations with the importance that1040it deserves has not been where it should be over time. I am1041speaking in terms of USDA in general----1042    Senator Smith. Yes.1043    Mr. Walk [continuing]. and we do hope to address that.1044    Senator Smith. Well, I think that is important. I want to1045just follow up. You mentioned the Food Distribution Program,1046FDPIR, as we----1047    Mr. Walk. Yes.1048    Senator Smith [continuing]. strangely call it. I assume you1049oversaw those consultations. As you no doubt know, the FDPIR1050distribution program has had some serious issues, and as1051Inspector General, you very well may could be called on to1052investigate some of those issues. I am wondering how you would1053handle that in your role as Inspector General, having had this1054interaction with the program and this acting role, would you1055see any conflict there?1056    Mr. Walk. Senator, I do not see conflict there. My--again,1057my primary experience with the FDPIR program has been as the1058consulting official, but we also had some work around the Paris1059Brothers Warehouse situation. I believe I briefed the staff1060about--there was a cyber incident there that we had to----1061    Senator Smith. Okay.1062    Mr. Walk [continuing]. work with, and I made it clear to1063our staff that we were not going to fail our tribal governments1064again with respect to that warehouse to make sure that food was1065delivered on time and with the kind of quality that is1066deserved.1067    Other than that, I do not think I had a significant role in1068the FDPIR program, but of course, conflicts of interest are1069very fact-specific, and I would look at the facts of what the1070investigation might be and what my role was and work in terms1071of our professional standards to see if that is something I1072should step out of.1073    Senator Smith. Mr. Chair, I am out of time now, but I do1074have a question to direct to Dr. Brashears. I will submit that1075to you and ask for your response in writing. It has to do with1076the work that I believe we can do with tribes to improve work1077around meat processing, something of great interest to tribes,1078especially those that are diversifying into bison, buffalo1079herds. I will follow up with my question to you directly.1080    Dr. Brashears. Okay. Thank you.1081    Senator Smith. Thank you.1082    Chairman Boozman. Thank you. We appreciate you bringing up1083the food distribution amongst the tribes. That is certainly1084something that I think everybody on the Committee is very1085concerned about.1086    Senator Marshall.1087    Senator Marshall. Well, thank you, Chairman, and welcome to1088our nominees. We look forward to supporting you across the1089finish line. I think I will start with Dr. Brashears. Any1090friend of Congressman Arrington's is a friend of mine, and I1091just want to give him the pistols up sign. It is not quite as1092powerful as a Wildcat power cat, but it would be one of my1093favorite places to visit as well, quite a university.1094    Dr. Brashears. Thank you.1095    Senator Marshall. Let us start by talking about ultra-1096processed foods. Many of us are concerned that they negatively1097impact people's health. Not that I am asking you to give the1098definition, but how important would it be for us to figure out1099a definition, and are there any particular components you are1100looking for?1101    Dr. Brashears. Sure. I think--oh, thank you so much for the1102question, Senator. I do agree that we have to have some1103guidelines around this, and I think, especially with regard to1104meat and poultry products, one of the things that has to be1105addressed is the nutritional value. Of course, with regard to1106food safety, we do need some of the chemicals and some of the1107processing to maintain food safety. If you think about things1108like beef jerky, meat sticks, sometimes that goes in the1109BackPack programs, but we need to be transparent to the1110consumer, and we need for them to understand, and we will1111continue to work with FDA on those definitions and to champion1112the cause for our consumer.1113    Senator Marshall. Great. Thank you for that answer.1114    One of my big goals is always to help small processing1115plants to help farmers and ranchers meet local producers, and1116farmers, ranchers--more my ranchers--to allow their products to1117go across state line as well. Recently, USDA stated that they1118will ``provide additional guidance on requirements for very1119small meat processors serving local markets that ease1120compliance while maintaining safety,'' safety first. What can1121you do? What is your vision of helping some of those smaller1122packing plants in particular?1123    Dr. Brashears. I have spent my career working with the1124small and very small meat industries, so it is definitely a1125passion of mine. Many times, they are lacking the technical1126expertise, so connecting them with trade associations or1127university extension offices where they can get that technical1128expertise. Also, USDA consumer safety officers, whenever I was1129previously in this position, we had dedicated a portion of1130their time to provide technical assistance to the small and1131very small processors. That will be important, as well as1132having small plant roundtables to understand what their needs1133are, where they can come, and we listen to them. I personally1134like to participate in those, so I stay on top of the needs so1135our agency can meet those needs, and I am committed to that.1136    Senator Marshall. Thank you. Mr. Walk, let us turn to you.1137The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, I am sure you are1138familiar in Manhattan, Kansas, home of the mighty fighting1139Wildcats, has fallen behind. Do you have a commitment to look1140into that, investigate the challenges, and then hopefully hold1141somebody accountable? Mr. Walk?1142    Mr. Walk. Senator, yes, I appreciate that question. There1143are serious issues with NBAF, and as a former employee of DHS,1144I certainly understood that there were problems on that side as1145well. The issues of biosecurity is essential, particularly in1146today's environment, and we need to make sure we have a1147biocontainment lab at that level, and we need to figure out1148what went wrong there. Yes, I--that is something that I want to1149make sure I watch.1150    Senator Marshall. You will follow up with us as that1151investigation pursues, as the law allows?1152    Mr. Walk. Senator, I will.1153    Senator Marshall. Okay, let us go to Ms. Herrell for a1154second here. I love your experience working with FFA and 4-1155H'ers as well. This is a--so often we look at things in silos1156up here. Certainly, Make America Healthy Again is very1157important to me. This Rural Health Transformation Fund is a1158priority for us as well, regenerative agriculture. It is not1159three different issues. To me, it is all one issue. I think1160that if we can educate the FFA'ers and 4-H'ers on the1161importance of Make America Healthy Again, regenerative1162agriculture, and through them, you help educate our fathers and1163mothers and grandmothers and grandfathers how important this1164regenerative agriculture is, precision agriculture is to just1165not the soil health, but the waters of the land as well. What1166could you do to help promote that communication and education1167so that more farmers and ranchers are focusing on soil health1168and water safety as well?1169    Ms. Herrell. Thank you for that question. It is a very good1170one. I think there are so many people in our country that do1171not understand the importance of agriculture. Just with the1172meeting I had with Senator Justice, being able to come back and1173message. Where we work together is coming to your office,1174understanding some of the needs in the different states, the1175challenges, but then collectively put together some messaging,1176some kind of conversation that we can have publicly, both with1177producers and farmers, but also with the general public. I1178believe that will be part of our goal in terms of OCR.1179    I would like to kind of change the face or how OCR is1180viewed so that we can be more of a resource in terms of helping1181to message and meet with these FFA'ers and these 4-H'ers around1182the country and give them--equip them with the tools they need1183to have those conversations within their circles.1184    Senator Marshall. You know, inasmuch as my generation in1185grade school were educated about tobacco, we went home and told1186our parents, please quit smoking.1187    Ms. Herrell. Right.1188    Senator Marshall. I think we can do the same thing,1189reaching our youth and saying, please reach out to your fellow1190producers out there and say, please, our water is not healthy1191in some situations. Our soil is not healthy. That would be my1192vision. Thank you.1193    Ms. Herrell. Yes, Senator. Thank you.1194    Senator Marshall. Thank you so much, Chairman. I yield.1195    Chairman Boozman. Thank you, Senator Marshall.1196    Senator Durbin. Yes, sir. I am sorry. I am mumbling.1197    Senator Durbin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thanks to the1198nominees.1199    Dr. Brashears, I spent most of my career in Congress trying1200to get a single food safety inspection agency and explain the1201alphabet soup that we currently have. I wish you good luck in1202the next year that I am here. I will help you if I can.1203    There is another topic that you have been engaged in that1204is near and dear to my heart, and that is known as the line1205speed rule. When I was working my way through college, I spent1206four months working in a slaughterhouse in East St. Louis,1207Illinois, Hunter Packing Company, now later John Morrell, and I1208learned what it was to work the line on the kill and the cut. I1209am sure you know the difference.1210    Dr. Brashears. Yes, sir.1211    Senator Durbin. The kill, of course, is when the hog meets1212its fate and ultimately ends up in a chilled room to be carved1213up the next day.1214    We had a union contract, and the union contract said that1215we were expected to process on the kill 225 hogs an hour. That1216was a pretty busy day, 1,800 hogs at the end of the day. I1217worked on that line, and I learned a lot. It was hot. It was1218loud. There were 240-pound hogs rushing through there, one1219every 15 seconds. It was dangerous as hell. People I worked1220with collapsed on the job, some were mauled by the machinery,1221and a lot of them were hurt. Some of the sharpest knives I have1222ever seen in my life were used by these men and women as part1223of their daily work, and they had the scars to show for it.1224    Your experience in this issue is one I want to explore for1225a minute. It sounds to me like the decision has been made by1226the Trump Administration to ignore the court ruling and to move1227forward with line speeds, which are unimaginable. What about1228the safety of the workers? Has that been taken into1229consideration?1230    Dr. Brashears. Thank you so much, and thank you for putting1231context with your question, Senator. I really appreciate it.1232We--I am committed to moving forward with the modernization and1233listening to the results of the study, and if confirmed, we1234will move forward with the modernized inspection system.1235    However, we are--the agency is very committed to worker1236safety and providing safe working conditions not only for the1237workers in the plant as well as for our inspectors. In the1238report and in the response from USDA, you will--you can see1239from the publicly available information, the industry is urged1240to look at the results of that report because, as you1241mentioned, the jobs can be difficult and demanding, and it1242urges the industry to look at the report and to develop best1243practices that can be followed by the industry, including knife1244sharpening, providing medical care, encouraging workers to take1245time off, and also maintaining our relationship with OSHA will1246be very important.1247    Senator Durbin. Let me ask you a specific question. In1248March of this year, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary1249Rollins announced that FSIS will extend waivers allowing pork1250and poultry facilities to maintain higher line speeds, and USDA1251will no longer require plants to submit redundant worker safety1252data, citing two recent studies they commissioned about line1253speeds and worker safety. Is the Department backing off this1254issue of safety?1255    Dr. Brashears. Well, as you know, OSHA oversees worker1256safety, and FSIS will oversee the food safety of the product.1257    Senator Durbin. In terms of the safety and the plant and1258the speed of the line, that was a decision you worked on in the1259Department of Agriculture, is not it?1260    Dr. Brashears. The--I was not involved in that decision. I1261have not been in the agency or been at the table for that1262decision-making.1263    Senator Durbin. Thank you very much.1264    Mr. Walk, it is unfair to think that we can ask any hard1265questions with your cheering section behind you and your lovely1266daughters and your family----1267    Mr. Walk. Thank you, Senator.1268    Senator Durbin [continuing]. but I am going to ask you this1269question. President Trump's decision to fire Inspectors1270General, all 18 firings without providing any rationale, would1271put any new Inspector General in a position to worry about the1272job security of the undertaking. Can you tell me what you think1273about the firing of all these Inspectors General at one time by1274President Trump?1275    Mr. Walk. Senator, I would say that the IG Act authorizes1276the President to remove Inspectors General at will.1277    Senator Durbin. Of course, there was a requirement in the1278law of notifying Congress in advance and the reason for the1279firing, and that was not complied with. Does that concern you?1280    Mr. Walk. Senator, I would say that that issue, in fact,1281the entire issue that our previous IG is a named plaintiff in a1282case specifically against USDA, so I cannot opine on that1283particular issue because it is an issue that was in the case--1284or is in the case.1285    Senator Durbin. I will make one last point. On January 25,1286I joined the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck1287Grassley, in sending a letter notifying President Trump that he1288did not provide the rationale for Congress and thus had not1289followed the law in the firings of these Inspectors General.1290That was in January. We have not received any satisfactory1291response from President Trump on those firings. I would say if1292we are going to have a law, the President should be required to1293follow it. Thank you.1294    Chairman Boozman. Senator Schiff.1295    Senator Schiff. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.1296    Mr. Walk, during your time as Acting Deputy Under Secretary1297at FNS, the agency demanded that states provide USDA with1298personal data belonging to tens of millions of SNAP recipients1299and applicants. This information includes names, birthdays,1300addresses, Social Security numbers, and immigration status. The1301guidance also states that USDA has the authority to disclose1302any of this personal data to any government entity they deem1303necessary, including foreign governments. Mr. Walk, can you1304tell us what the legal authority is that USDA is relying on to1305collect, store, and share the personal data of tens of millions1306of Americans, including Social Security numbers, home1307addresses, simply because they received or applied for SNAP1308benefits?1309    Mr. Walk. Senator, I appreciate that question. My1310understanding is there were four requests for state data--for1311state recipient data. One of the requests was made in May, and1312so I was at FNCS. As I recall, I had no involvement in drafting1313or issuing that particular request, but I was aware of what was1314going on. I would say--I know that there is a lawsuit brought1315by numerous Attorneys General, and I hesitate to give my1316opinion in terms of what that authority might be because I--1317the--that may be an issue in the case.1318    Senator Schiff. Mr. Walk, if confirmed, are you committed1319to reviewing this policy independently, objectively, to ensure1320that it does not violate federal privacy laws, which protect1321Americans' personal data and identities?1322    Mr. Walk. Senator, I appreciate that question. I will say1323that I think the collection of data itself is something that we1324need to look at in general. As a 24-year federal employee, I1325certainly understand the privacy implications and that we have1326laws that protect data throughout the information lifecycle1327from collection to transmission, to storage, to disposal, and I1328will--and I want to make sure that as we use those--the data1329technologies, which carries promise, that we also make sure1330that we deploy them in a way that abides by the law.1331    Senator Schiff. I think part of the challenge that many of1332us have is the Inspectors General across the Federal Government1333were fired. No cause was provided. No notice was provided. We1334need those positions to be people of independence and the1335strength of character to blow the whistle if something is going1336on that is inappropriate, unethical, or unlawful. Were you to1337determine that either this policy, this collection of data1338violated the law, or some other practice did, are you prepared1339to inform Congress that the agency is operating in violation of1340law or ethics?1341    Mr. Walk. Senator, the Inspector General Act requires that1342the Inspector General keeps Congress currently and fully1343informed of all deficiencies and problems in its operations, so1344I will follow that statute.1345    Senator Schiff. Is the answer yes, then? If you were to1346find this policy or another policy in violation of the law,1347would you inform Congress?1348    Mr. Walk. Senator, yes, I would fulfill my obligation to1349Congress.1350    Senator Schiff. You would inform Congress?1351    Mr. Walk. If--I would inform Congress of our findings, yes.1352    Senator Schiff. Okay. You seem reluctant to make that1353commitment. It should not be difficult. If you discover there1354is a violation of the law going on and you are required by1355statute to inform Congress, you should inform Congress, and1356there should not be any hesitation about it.1357    Let me just ask briefly in the time that I have left, Ms.1358Herrell, thank you for being here today and for meeting with my1359staff. Senator Smith and I, along with other Members of the1360Committee, sent a letter to USDA inquiring about the nature of1361canceled grants according to a June 17 departmental1362announcement. I am deeply concerned that these cancelations1363have directly impacted farmers in my state and other states and1364adversely impacted their ability to sustain and grow their1365businesses. We have yet to receive a response. Can you assure1366our offices that we will get an answer to that inquiry and1367others that we direct to you?1368    Ms. Herrell. Yes, thank you, Senator. In my opening1369remarks, I had mentioned that it is the priority to be1370responsive. Responsiveness has to be the first priority for OCR1371because we need to be working collaboratively so that you have1372correct information to share with your constituents. I,1373myself--you were not here at the time. I, myself, as a Member1374of the House, had inquired a letter--had a letter of inquiry1375over to OCR, and it took over 600 days for a response,1376completely unacceptable. I understand the importance of getting1377this information to you quickly. I believe we can modernize the1378way we are responding. If confirmed, again, the responsiveness1379will be our first priority to ensure you have the information1380you need.1381    Senator Schiff. Thank you.1382    I yield back, Mr. Chairman.1383    Chairman Boozman. Senator Lujan.1384    Senator Lujan. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. Thank you1385for having me today. Congresswoman Herrell, it is good to see1386you here. I understand Fran made the journey.1387    Ms. Herrell. She did.1388    Senator Lujan. Welcome as well, Fran. Yesterday, when I1389spoke with Yvette, she shared with me you were coming on behalf1390of the whole family, so you have a lot of responsibility on1391behalf of the whole family there as well. Welcome. I hope your1392journey was a good one. Do you think the Congresswoman is doing1393okay?1394    I am sorry if I am out of bounds, Mr. Chairman, asking1395folks in the audience questions. I will come back home here.1396Representative----1397    Chairman Boozman. That is more fun.1398    Senator Lujan. I am sure you have had lots of good1399questions today, one asked by my colleague from California1400about making yourself available.1401    Ms. Herrell. Yes.1402    Senator Lujan. That is where my questions always are. I1403mean, we come from the same state where we are a big family.1404Now, like all families, sometimes there is a disagreement, but1405you are family, and you work to make things better.1406    As you know, I have your phone number. You have mine. You1407have reached out to me when issues have been going on in parts1408of New Mexico that need attention. I think it surprised you1409when I gave you a holler back. We were able to make a big1410difference. That is my question here is, when confirmed, will1411you commit to be responsive, answer questions from colleagues1412in this body, regardless of Democrat or Republican, regardless1413of party? It is about home. It is about making a difference. Is1414that something you can commit to?1415    Ms. Herrell. Senator, yes, absolutely. I did enjoy our1416conversation yesterday. In the opening statement, I believe1417that I said this, actually, that policy should be rising above1418partisanship. In my opinion, USDA and the programs here should1419not be based on politics. Yes, the priority for me is to ensure1420that we have a working relationship with Members and staff. I1421would like to overhaul it. I would like to see more of OCR on1422the Hill, attending meetings, and then understanding the1423priorities from each Member office so that we can be quick in1424our responsive and respective of what your responsibilities are1425to your constituencies.1426    Senator Lujan. I respect that very much. With some of the1427recent announcements around FSA and whether some folks are1428going to be working, some folks not, they may have been moved1429around. I know that a lot of farmers and ranchers are reaching1430out to me. They probably were still reaching out to you as1431well. Just who do I talk to? I have this pending, I need a1432decision, I need to figure out if I am going to sell the1433cattle, if I am going to buy more cattle, what I am going to do1434with grain, whatever it is.1435    Ms. Herrell. Right.1436    Senator Lujan. That is why this all matters. In the end,1437when we are doing constituent services, which is something we1438are proud of in New Mexico, we have to be able to find someone1439so we can talk to them and get that done, so I appreciate that.1440    Now, in New Mexico, Representative Herrell, as you know, we1441grow a lot of specialty crops, whether it is our chile. I do1442not know if there is anyone here from Colorado, but you are1443welcome because your chile came from New Mexico, so I will just1444leave it at that. Whether it is chile, pecans, pistachios,1445whatever our specialty crops are, yes or no, will you commit to1446making sure USDA policies do not leave specialty crop producers1447behind?1448    Ms. Herrell. Yes.1449    Senator Lujan. Mrs. Brashears, can I ask you that same1450question?1451    Dr. Brashears. Yes, sir.1452    Senator Lujan. Mr. Walk?1453    Mr. Walk. Yes, sir.1454    Senator Lujan. Well, there you go. I appreciate that.1455    Mr. Chairman, we are going to hold them accountable when we1456get those specialty crop conversations going, so I appreciate1457that.1458    Ms. Herrell, as you know, ranchers in New Mexico and across1459the country, they are being squeezed right now because it is1460hard to be able to get those cattle, that beef to a processing1461facility. You know, they go to an auction house. They may1462acquire them there. The law right now says at that auction1463place, they cannot process.1464    Ms. Herrell. Right.1465    Senator Lujan. They have to load them in a truck and, you1466know, in a state like New Mexico, if there is drought and they1467do not hit weight, it is dangerous for those cattle to be put1468on a car and make it somewhere else. Can I count on you to work1469with myself, Senator Ernst, who is leading the legislation, to1470remove barriers for small and local producers? Will you commit1471to being a partner in that work with your role at USDA?1472    Ms. Herrell. Senator, yes, absolutely.1473    Senator Lujan. I appreciate that.1474    Mr. Chairman, just in my closing remarks here, I do not1475mean to be partisan, and so I hope it does not come across that1476way. There is a food program right now called SNAP,1477Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, that it would close1478down for the first time in our Nation's history, even though1479there is $5 billion sitting in a fund already for the Secretary1480of Agriculture to tap into. I was surprised to learn that,1481because of some of the rules that we have in place around1482tariffs--and this goes back to not just the policy that pushes1483transfers of $3 billion a year into food programs, but there is1484actually $23 billion on top of the $5 billion that could be1485used to transfer under Section 32 with tariff money.1486    There has been a lot of back and forth there is not enough1487money for these food programs and whatnot. I hope that we can1488work together. I have a piece of legislation I have introduced.1489Senator Hawley has a piece of legislation he has introduced1490here. Just so that we are speaking about fact, not fiction,1491what money is available, what money is not, what can be done,1492what could not be. I certainly hope for the good of all of the1493people that we love, some of those that we do not know in our1494states, when it comes to getting a meal, that we do not allow1495this year to be the first year that this program might close.1496    For whatever that is worth, Chairman, I am praying about1497it. A lot of people across the country are praying about it.1498God willing, we will find a good place to get this done. I look1499forward to your confirmation.1500    Representative Herrell, if there is a vote, I look forward1501to supporting you. If there is a voice vote, I will be1502screaming loud. Thank you for being here. Not to take away from1503anyone else, but we are a little partial to our brothers and1504sisters from New Mexico.1505    I yield back, Mr. Chairman.1506    Chairman Boozman. Thank you. Senator Warnock.1507    Senator Warnock. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.1508    Senator Lujan, I am also praying about this----1509    Senator Lujan. Amen.1510    Senator Warnock [continuing]. these SNAP recipients. There1511is a Ghanaian proverb that says, when you pray, move your1512feet----1513    Senator Lujan. Amen.1514    Senator Warnock [continuing]. so we need to be praying with1515our lips and our legs and make sure we do not have hungry folks1516in this wealthiest country on the planet.1517    Mr. Walk, before you were Senior Advisor to Secretary1518Rollins--and welcome to the Committee. Before you were----1519    Mr. Walk. Thank you, Senator.1520    Senator Warnock [continuing]. Senior Advisor to Secretary1521Rollins, you were USDA's Acting Deputy Under Secretary for1522Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. Is that correct?1523    Mr. Walk. Yes, Senator.1524    Senator Warnock. This includes the USDA office primarily1525charged with managing food assistance programs, correct?1526    Mr. Walk. Senator, that is correct.1527    Senator Warnock. This office also administers the Emergency1528Food Assistance Program, which provides food to partners on the1529ground, including food banks, correct?1530    Mr. Walk. Yes, Senator.1531    Senator Warnock. Mr. Walk, as acting head of this office,1532did you participate in any way in carrying out this1533Administration's nutrition policy of abruptly canceling $5001534million or about 94 million pounds of food headed toward our1535food banks and meant to feed hungry Americans? Yes or no?1536    Mr. Walk. Senator, no, I was not.1537    Senator Warnock. You were not involved in that at all?1538    Mr. Walk. No.1539    Senator Warnock. This was food intended for food banks in1540Georgia. I am in touch with these banks. It is interesting to1541me that you said you are not involved at all because when we1542sent a letter to the Secretary asking for more information1543about this decision, this decision to abruptly cancel the food1544bank lifeline that Congress had approved on a bipartisan basis,1545we sent a letter to the Secretary asking questions about this.1546You said you were not involved, but you responded. You1547responded on her behalf with a letter calling this food bank1548support ``a slush fund.'' Those were your words.1549    Mr. Chairman, I request consent to enter this May 20251550letter signed by the nominee into the hearing record.1551    Chairman Boozman. Without objection.1552    [The letters can be found on pages 36-37 in the appendix.]1553    Senator Warnock. Mr. Walk, do you still stand by your1554categorization of the Emergency Food Assistance Program as a1555``slush fund''?1556    Mr. Walk. Senator, I would have to go back and look. I do1557not have an awareness----1558    Senator Warnock. You are not aware of your own letter?1559    Mr. Walk. Senator, as I sit here, I do not remember that.1560    Senator Warnock. I mean, that is a pretty serious1561accusation that funds intended to go to food banks to support1562hungry people is a slush fund. The letter is in the record, but1563the nominee does not remember the letter that he wrote.1564    Food banks in Georgia disagree with that characterization,1565I will tell you that. They tell me that canceling this federal1566support has made it harder to feed hungry Georgians and has1567meant that more families and children in Georgia go hungry.1568    To add injury on top of injury, not just insult to injury,1569this coming weekend, because Republicans in Congress are1570pitting people who need healthcare against people who need1571food, and sometimes those are the same people, 1.4 million1572Georgians are about to lose SNAP. That is 1 in 8 Georgians,1573folks who sent me here to represent them and their families.1574They are facing this this weekend, and it is putting even more1575strain on our depleted food banks, who were robbed of $5001576million because it was deemed a slush fund, even as children go1577to bed hungry, God forbid, in the next few days.1578    Mr. Walk, are you aware of USDA's SNAP contingency fund?1579Yes or no? Yes or no, are you aware of it?1580    Mr. Walk. Sir, I am aware of that, yes.1581    Senator Warnock. Are you aware that USDA, despite1582bipartisan demands from Congress, is refusing to use that fund1583to help keep food assistance going to families after Saturday?1584Yes or no?1585    Mr. Walk. Senator, my understanding is that is now in1586litigation and----1587    Senator Warnock. Right, it is in litigation because the1588Administration is refusing to use the funds, correct? It would1589not be in litigation if the Administration would just use the1590$5 billion that is available to use, correct, on top of the1591other funds that my colleague just referred to?1592    Mr. Walk. Sir, that is a claim in litigation, and because1593it is in litigation, it is not something that I can speak to.1594    Senator Warnock. It is in litigation because these are1595decisions that the Trump Administration that the USDA is making1596in real time. They are deciding to pit hungry people against1597sick people, and I think that is immoral. There is nothing1598legally stopping the Administration from making Emergency Food1599Assistance funds that they are just sitting on available for1600Georgia kids and families in November.1601    As I bring this to a close, Mr. Chairman, look, our parties1602have a disagreement, obviously. Here is where we are. Even as1603we debate what to do about these ACA subsidies, it is1604indisputable that the USDA, under the Trump Administration, is1605choosing to pull hungry children into this fight. They are not1606just in this fight. They are being pulled into this fight, used1607as pawns for short-term political gain. I think it is deeply1608immoral, and I think we can certainly do better than that.1609    Mr. Chairman, I yield.1610    Chairman Boozman. Thank you.1611    I guess the only thing I would say, the easiest thing to do1612would be to end the shutdown and pass a clean CR.1613    With that, thank you again to Dr. Brashears, Representative1614Herrell, and Mr. Walk for appearing before the Committee, and1615to our Committee Members for their participation in today's1616hearing. Also, we always want to thank our people that actually1617made this work, our staffs on both sides who do such a1618tremendous job.1619    With that, today's hearing is now adjourned. Thank you.1620    [Whereupon, at 4:29 p.m., the Committee was adjourned.]16211622=======================================================================16231624                            A P P E N D I X16251626                            October 29, 202516271628=======================================================================16291630[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]16311632=======================================================================16331634                         QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS16351636                            October 29, 202516371638=======================================================================16391640[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]16411642                                 [all]