Tom Vilsack is in a unique position. After serving as secretary of agriculture for the duration of the Obama administration, he’s poised to return once again to the same department.
Some on the left, however, are pushing back against Vilsack’s nomination. A coalition of progressive organizations, including RootsAction, Food and Water Watch, Progressive Democrats for America and the Zero Hour have launched a grassroots campaign to pressure senators to vote against Vilsack as Ag Secretary.
Here are the top five reasons why many progressives oppose Vilsack’s nomination.
Ties to the dairy industry
After running the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for almost eight years, Vilsack left politics and joined the lobbying industry. In early 2016, he became president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), where he helped lead the organization’s efforts to export U.S. dairy products to a global market.
USDEC members include Land O’Lakes, Inc., Sargento Foods, Tillamook County Creamery Association and YUM! Restaurants International, Inc.—the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.
Now, Vilsack is returning to USDA, where his department will be charged with regulating the very industry he just left. Vilsack’s turn from politics to lobbying and back again is emblematic of a revolving door that advocates of good government have long been fighting.
Support for big ag
In addition to Vilsack’s ties to the dairy industry, progressives have cited his record of supporting Big Ag as a major cause for concern. The extreme consolidation of agribusinesses is one of the biggest issues facing small farms. The Obama administration, like the current administration, had promised to stand up for the nation’s family farmers and ranchers.
Although Vilsack embarked on a listening tour of rural America, where farmers and ranchers spoke about the need for a moratorium on anti-competitive agribusiness mergers and stronger enforcement of antitrust laws, critics say he failed to deliver. In fact, his tenure at USDA saw the giant Bayer-Monsanto merger.
In a 2019 appearance on the Iowa Starting Line Podcast, Vilsack criticized the anti-monopolistic rhetoric of then-presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, stating, “there are a substantial number of people hired and employed by those businesses here in Iowa. So you’re essentially saying to all of those folks, you might be out of a job.”
He added that the push for anti-monopoly enforcement came from “folks in think tanks in urban centers who have had very little experience, if any, with rural places.”
Critics fear Vilsack will tilt policies at USDA to favor large corporations rather than small farmers.
“Tom Vilsack has made a career of catering to the whims of corporate agriculture giants—some of whom he has gone to work for—while failing to fight for struggling family farmers at every turn,” said Wenonah Hauter, who serves as executive director for Food and Water Watch. “America needs an agriculture secretary that will finally prioritize sustainable family farming and national food security over corporate profits. Tom Vilsack has proven not to be the leader we need.”
Shirley Sherrod
In 2010, Vilsack pressured USDA official Shirley Sherrod to resign from her role as Georgia State Director of Rural Development after conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart published a doctored video of Sherrod. In it, Sherrod, who is Black, appeared to state that she refused to help a farmer because he was white.
Later, the full story behind her alleged remarks came to light, showing that her comments were taken out of context and selectively edited. Sherrod not only worked with the white farmer, she helped save his farm and remains friends with him and his family to this day.
Once the full context came out, Vilsack apologized to Sherrod and offered her another position at USDA (though not her old position). Sherrod accepted his apology but did not return to USDA.
Distorting data on black farmers
Vilsack’s spotty record on racial issues extends beyond Sherrod’s forced resignation. A two-year investigation by The Counter revealed that under Vilsack’s leadership, USDA distorted data on Black farmers, making it seem as though the department had improved its dismal record on civil rights.
In a 2016 post on Medium, Vilsack claimed that USDA had made significant changes to improve racial equity and assist Black farmers. Among his accomplishments, Vilsack touted that civil rights complaints had fallen to a record low under his leadership, that the department had reduced funding disparities between Black and white farmers, and that the number of Black farmers had increased.
The Counter’s investigation, however, found that most of these claims were “extremely misleading or false.” The department had not only failed to increase assistance for Black farmers, it was more likely to foreclose on Black-owned farms than it was on white-owned ones.
The Counter alleges that this distortion of data “ultimately cost Black farmers land, money and agency.”
More of the same
Perhaps the biggest reason why progressives oppose Vilsack’s nomination is that he represents more of the same in an industry that is in desperate need of change, particularly when it comes to Big Ag and civil rights.
After four years of instability under the Trump administration, some had argued in favor of a “return to normalcy.” But according to family farm advocates, this will not help farmers—or rural America.
Despite its name, USDA is in charge of more than just agriculture. It also oversees the nation’s program for rural development. As Rural America continues to struggle, policies that are “more of the same” will not adequately address its substantial needs.
Vilsack’s previous record doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll repeat his performance under the Biden administration, but many progressives aren’t willing to take that chance.
“We need an advocate for small farmers, a champion for civil rights, and a protector of the environment to lead the Department of Agriculture,” said Alan Minsky, the executive director of Progressive Democrats of America. “Tom Vilsack was none of these things during his eight years as agriculture secretary.”
RootsAction national director Norman Solomon added, “Vilsack has routinely backed agribusiness, which continues to return the favor. But constituents who care about the environment, small farms, labor rights and racial justice are urging their senators to vote against Vilsack when his nomination reaches the Senate floor.”
The first step in Vilsack’s confirmation hearing is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, February 2.
