OPINION:
As a fifth-generation farm kid and now a U.S. senator, I know firsthand that agriculture is more than just an industry; it’s a way of life. It’s the backbone of rural America, the foundation of our economy and essential to our nation’s food security. That’s why I wholeheartedly support Brooke Rollins for secretary of agriculture. She’s not just qualified; she’s the fighter, and with commodity prices down and farm income declining, she’s the fighter rural America needs.
Ms. Rollins understands agriculture because she has lived it. As a multigenerational farm kid, she knows firsthand the dedication and sacrifice it takes — just as President Eisenhower once pointed out: “Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you are a thousand miles from the cornfield.” She comes from a long line of American farmers. She grew up in 4-H and FFA, and she is raising her children in the livestock show industry. Agriculture isn’t just a policy issue; it’s in her DNA.
This deep-rooted understanding is why she has spent her career fighting for farmers, ranchers and rural communities. From her time in the Texas government to her leadership at the America First Policy Institute, Ms. Rollins has championed policies that put farmers first. She has fought overregulation, protected American farmland from foreign ownership and led efforts to strengthen U.S. food security.
During her time in the Trump White House, Ms. Rollins played a key role in rolling back burdensome Environmental Protection Agency regulations such as Waters of the U.S., which threatened farmers’ ability to manage their land. Her leadership helped restore common sense to agricultural policy; we need her to do it again.
President Trump won 90% of rural America’s vote because he understands and respects the people who feed and fuel this country. Ms. Rollins shares that passion. She has been a trusted adviser to Mr. Trump for years and will ensure that agriculture has a loud voice at the table.
We need a secretary of agriculture who will fight overregulation, support farm-friendly trade policies and protect biofuels, which are critical to rural America. Ms. Rollins understands this and has already fought for and committed to expanding biofuel production to ensure policies such as the 45Z tax credit work for farmers, not against them.
She will champion a Farmers First Farm Bill, reduce regulatory burdens, and negotiate trade deals that put American farmers and ranchers first.
Food security is national security. Brooke Rollins will be a leader who will put America’s farmers first.
• Sen. Roger Marshall, Kansas Republican, sits on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
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