WASHINGTON – Alexis Taylor, an Iowa State
University graduate who grew up on a family farm near Holy Cross, Iowa, has
been confirmed by the Senate to serve as Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign
Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Sen. Chuck
Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member of the Agriculture Committee, issued the
following statement applauding her confirmation.
“Congratulations to Alexis Taylor on her
confirmation to serve as the USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign
Agricultural Affairs. With her experience and exceptional qualifications,
Alexis is exactly the leader we need in this position – someone ready to hit
the ground running, particularly because the Biden administration has thus far
dropped the ball in filling critical trade positions. For the past two years,
I’ve been urging President Biden to place more of a focus on trade issues to
provide certainty and expand markets for farmers and producers.
“Alexis’s confirmation is certainly a
step in the right direction, and it will be helpful to have a strong voice at
USDA advocating for Iowa farmers who could be devastated by Mexico’s move to
ban genetically-modified corn. I look forward to working with her on this and
other important trade issues facing U.S. agriculture,” Grassley said.
Grassley has been pushing for Taylor’s
swift confirmation since her
nomination. He spoke highly of her during September’s Agriculture Committee
nomination hearing, praising her experience and qualifications – including her work to
open new markets and improve the competitive position of U.S. agricultural
products in the marketplace.
In January, after President Biden had
largely ignored trade issues during his first year in office, Grassley and
Ernst
urged the president to begin tackling trade challenges and to seek new trade agreements.
Grassley has also joined his colleagues in urging the USDA and USTR to
prioritize market access initiatives as part of America’s trade agenda.
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