Adam Schiff Asks Attorney General Nom About Increasing Opportunity Within The Commodity Procurement Program

Forbes Breaking News

During a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing prior to the Congressional recess, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) questioned Dudley Hoskins, nominee to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, about the commodity procurement program.

Transcript

00:30We've got a high-level conference back here.

00:53We've got a member that's trying to get over here,

00:56so we're going to give them a minute

00:59and if they come in a minute or so,

01:03we're in good shape.

01:04If not, then we'll go ahead and adjourn,

01:07but let's give them a chance.

01:11We're going to not adjourn officially

01:13for another minute or two,

01:15but you can yawn, take a break,

01:18do whatever you want to do for a second.

01:29It's hard with the votes.

01:33We have a, as many of you know,

01:35we have a new, kind of a,

01:37we did not enforce the get over and vote on time rule.

01:44It was very, very lax,

01:45so they've really tightened it up,

01:46and now if you're not over there

01:48within a certain period of time,

01:49they actually call the vote,

01:51and you just miss out.

01:52So, some things we can do and not do,

02:00but primarily we're here to vote.

02:03So, you guys got any other questions or comments?

02:09Thanks, sir.

02:39Senator Schiff.

02:50Thank you, Chairman.

03:03The success of California's agriculture industry

03:06is at least partially thanks to

03:10the very specialized knowledge

03:12and work of USDA experts.

03:14It's principally the success

03:16of the hardworking people

03:18in the agriculture industry

03:20who are some of the hardest working people

03:23I've ever met.

03:25But as two examples of the role

03:27that USDA experts play,

03:30and there are many more,

03:31APHIS protects California growers

03:33against citrus greening disease

03:35and ARS conducts research

03:37on the efficacy and efficiency

03:39of irrigated agriculture

03:40in vine and tree orchards.

03:43Mr. Hoskins and Dr. Hutchins,

03:45based on your experience at USDA,

03:47can you both briefly speak

03:48to the importance of APHIS,

03:50AMS, ARS,

03:52NIFA, and ERS staff

03:55at the department

03:55in securing the safety, innovation,

03:58and overall success

03:59of California's specialty crop industry?

04:04So thank you for that question, Senator.

04:07I guess I'll go first,

04:09just alphabetically,

04:10not in substance.

04:13But I would just say,

04:15when I think about that question,

04:16first from just an APHIS programmatic side,

04:19the mandate and authorities,

04:21this committee, this Congress,

04:23this chamber,

04:24has given the agency

04:25to help work

04:27in support and collaboration

04:28with your growers,

04:30your ag community

04:31in California,

04:32the California Department

04:34of Food and Ag,

04:35which plays an essential role

04:36as a partner

04:37in identifying,

04:39mitigating,

04:39and preventing

04:40both the plant-pest side

04:42of the equation

04:43and animal disease

04:45surveillance

04:47and response activities.

04:49So when I look

04:50at that portfolio,

04:51no matter where APHIS is

04:55or what issue

04:56we're talking about,

04:57the state partnership

04:58is absolutely essential.

05:00And CDFA

05:01has been instrumental

05:02and indispensable

05:03in that equation

05:04for as long

05:05as I've had

05:06the privilege

05:07to work in this space.

05:10To your question

05:11on staffing,

05:13as someone

05:13who's not

05:14at the department currently

05:15and doesn't have

05:16the benefit

05:16of internal briefings

05:18or assessments

05:19of bodies

05:20or resources

05:21or capacity,

05:22all I can say

05:23is I've heard

05:24Secretary Rollins

05:25state publicly

05:26her support

05:27and mandate

05:28that APHIS

05:29will ensure

05:30an adequate workforce

05:31to meet their mandate.

05:36Senator,

05:36thank you for the question.

05:38I've had the pleasure

05:39of traveling

05:39your state extensively.

05:40I've seen

05:41the great agriculture

05:41there from the rice fields

05:42near Sacramento

05:43to the almond plantations

05:45to the Salinas Valley

05:47to the cotton.

05:48And it's a wondrous place

05:50from an agricultural standpoint.

05:52It's a candy land

05:53for sure.

05:54So,

05:54and without a doubt,

05:56the federal agencies

05:57and USDA research

05:59as well as

06:00the University of California

06:01and the local agencies

06:02have had a tremendous impact

06:03on the success

06:04of agriculture

06:05in your state,

06:06particularly with

06:08the areas

06:09where developing methods

06:11and technologies

06:12for drought tolerance

06:14and so forth.

06:15so what I can speak to

06:18is the fact

06:19that those types

06:20of activities

06:21have been critically important

06:23to California

06:24and they will continue to be.

06:25And Mr. Hoskins,

06:27can you comment

06:27on the work

06:29that can be done

06:31to reduce barriers

06:31to participation

06:32in the commodity

06:33procurement programs

06:34for small,

06:35medium,

06:36newer beginning farmers

06:37and how we can create

06:38more opportunities

06:39for more farmers

06:41to provide healthy food?

06:42Thank you

06:45for that question,

06:46Senator.

06:48When I think about

06:49the commodity

06:50procurement program,

06:51the section 32 authority

06:53at AMS

06:54and their mandate

06:55to facilitate

06:56surplus removal

06:57and how their assessment

06:59is done

07:00to execute

07:01on that mandate,

07:03I also think about

07:04just some of the complexities

07:06that the agency

07:07is required

07:08to comply with

07:10under larger

07:11than just USDA

07:13authorities

07:13or compliance.

07:14It's the Federal

07:15Procurement Act

07:16and the cascade

07:18of regulations

07:19and steps

07:21vendors

07:22or participants

07:23have to go through

07:23to access that program.

07:26So I don't pretend

07:27to understand

07:28that matrix,

07:29but what I could

07:30commit to

07:31is if I were confirmed,

07:33I would want to work

07:33with you,

07:34your office,

07:35your staff,

07:35this committee,

07:37the Senate

07:37to better understand

07:38how or if

07:39or when

07:40the agency

07:41can reduce

07:42some of those impediments

07:43to participation

07:44for producers

07:45of all size.

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