Leaders of the Food Policy Institute of Consumer Federation of America praised President-Elect Barack Obama’s decision to appoint former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  In a letter last week, CFA joined other consumer groups asking President Obama to recognize the scope of the Department’s responsibilities and to appoint an individual who appreciates the importance of the USDA’s food assistance, food safety and environmental programs as well as the commodity programs and who also has the executive experience to lead a department with a budget of $95 billion and that employs 100,000 people.

Tom Vilsack was a popular and successful two-term governor who has made clear in public statements and actions his commitment to fighting hunger, supporting child nutrition programs, assuring a safe food supply and addressing water and soil conservation. He established a record of serving all the people of Iowa and we believe he will work to reform USDA and return it to the role that President Lincoln envisioned, “the People’s department.”

We look forward to working with him.