Mar 10, 2021

NCAE column: Biden appointees face task of working with ag sector

With the start of any political administration and the end of another, significant changes occur as a new executive branch takes the reigns. It is kind of as if a newly-elected sheriff rides into town wanting to place their own stamp on things.

We will examine how changes announced by the new Biden administration may impact agricultural labor in this article.

At press time, Tom Vilsack has been nominated as the new incoming Secretary of Agriculture. Vilsack is no stranger to the office, having served in the same role during the Obama administration. As such, Vilsack comes into the role as someone who understands it and the agency’s importance in advocating for the issues of agricultural employers.

The former secretary has continued his work in agriculture since the end of Obama’s term, serving as the president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC). USDEC is dedicated to expanding demand for U.S. dairy products in overseas markets and has been largely successful in expanding the sale and consumption of U.S. dairy in those markets.

Vilsack is also a former governor of Iowa who announced his candidacy for the presidency ahead of the 2008 election, but ended his bid in early 2007. His previous nomination was approved by bipartisan unanimous consent in the U.S. Senate, and he is highly regarded.

We look forward to working with Secretary Vilsack again, recognizing that Secretary Sonny Perdue and his stellar ag labor team at USDA have left big shoes to fill.

Alejandro Mayorkas has been nominated as the new secretary of Homeland Security. Mayorkas is a refugee from Cuba who came to the U.S. in 1960 with his parents and sister, fleeing the Communist takeover.

Like Vilsack, Mayorkas is no stranger to government policy work, having served in both the Clinton administration’s Department of Justice, as well as the Obama Department of Homeland Security (DHS). While at DHS, Mayorkas served as the director of Citizenship and Immigration Services and later as deputy secretary.

The former deputy knows the agency well and the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) is excited to work with him in developing a more agriculture-friendly DHS.

Marty Walsh, the son of Irish immigrants and the current mayor of Boston, has been nominated as the new Secretary of Labor. Walsh also previously served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. This will be his first presidential nomination.

Prior to becoming involved in Massachusetts politics, Walsh was a member of the laborer’s union and served as the union’s president.

The Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification oversees the H-2A Temporary Ag Worker program and as such, Walsh’s role will be critical to ensuring America’s farm and ranch families have access to a reliable workforce.

Antony Blinken has been nominated to succeed Mike Pompeo as the U.S. Secretary of State. Blinken is another Clinton/Obama alum having served in the state department and on the National Security Council under Clinton, and as deputy National Security Advisor and deputy Secretary of State under President Obama.

Blinken knows the state department very well and understands the importance to U.S. national security of having sustainable food production in our country. Being a seasoned hand in the department will also serve him well, as the growth in the H-2A program will continue to stress the agency as demand for temporary foreign workers will not soon abate.

NCAE is committed to working with the new Biden administration and the president’s nominees to strengthen the hand of U.S. agricultural employers. Doubtless, as with any new sheriff riding into town, there will be challenges to meet. NCAE will strive to find employer-friendly solutions to each of those challenges.

— Michael Marsh, president & CEO, National Council of Agricultural Employers