WASHINGTON (AP) — Tom Vilsack, President Joe Biden’s nominee for secretary of agriculture, is pledging to focus on climate change initiatives and work to address racial inequities in agricultural assistance programs. Vilsack, who testified Tuesday before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, brings more on-the-job experience than any other Biden Cabinet nominee. In addition to serving two terms as the governor of Iowa, he spent eight years as President Barack Obama’s Agriculture Secretary. In his testimony, Vilsack heavily endorsed boosting climate-friendly agricultural industries such as the creation of biofuels. Vilsack seems to enjoy bipartisan support and faced no serious criticism from Republicans on the committee.
