Tom Vilsack on Tuesday was confirmed by the Senate for a second stint as Secretary of Agriculture, previously serving under President Obama from 2009 to 2017. The vote was 92-7.

Vilsack was first nominated on December 10, 2020 and had his confirmation hearing before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee on February 2, 2021.

Prior to USDA, Vilsack served two terms as the Governor of Iowa, in the Iowa State Senate, as the mayor of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and practiced law.

“Secretary Vilsack’s willingness to serve is an extraordinary act of selflessness and commitment to public service as demonstrated by his distinguished career serving Americans and Iowans as a past two-term Secretary of Agriculture and of Iowa Governor for eight years,” NCC President Mike Brown said. “While leading USDA, Secretary Vilsack was instrumental in modernizing the poultry inspection system and was a key leader in expanding access to U.S. agricultural exports. We congratulate him on his confirmation and look forward to once again working with Secretary Vilsack on matters of importance to American chicken producers.”