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Grassley Lauds Senate Confirmation of Native Iowan Alexis Taylor to Serve in Key USDA Role

Confirmation comes after Grassley pressed Biden to prioritize trade, fill critical positions

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.

Grassley has pushed the Biden administration to fill critical trade positions, including this position of Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at USDA and the position of Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).

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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