Brooke Rollins, President Trump’s pick to lead the Agriculture Department, will appear before senators on Thursday to address how she plans to manage the agency, which supports the U.S. farm sector and administers food assistance programs.
Ms. Rollins, a former White House official during Mr. Trump’s first term, does not have the traditional résumé of an agriculture secretary, though her past suggests she has an interest in the sector: She participated in youth agricultural programs, has a degree in agricultural development and, according to her public financial disclosure, owns show cattle.
She also led two prominent conservative think tanks and served as deputy general counsel to the governor of Texas, where she is from. If she is confirmed, it would be a break with recent secretaries, who have typically been governors or lawmakers from farm states.
She has garnered the support of nearly every major farm group, including the influential American Farm Bureau and trade associations representing growers of the nation’s largest crops. A letter signed by more than 400 organizations specifically cited her “close working relationship” with Mr. Trump as an asset.
Senator John Boozman, Republican of Arkansas and the chairman of the agriculture committee, praised Ms. Rollins’s credentials after meeting with her in December — signaling that she had mustered enough support to be confirmed. He said she was “well positioned to be a strong voice and advocate for farmers, ranchers and forest landowners.”
If confirmed, Ms. Rollins would oversee an agency with an annual budget of more than $200 billion and nearly 100,000 employees. While Congress determines much of the department’s funding levels, the agriculture secretary can still exert great influence over federal food and farm policy.