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Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee, I am pleased to appear before you today. I welcome the opportunity to discuss the benefits to U.S. agriculture of ending the application of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment and authorizing permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) for Russia. The U.S. Department of...

WASHINGTON, June 21, 2012– Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement on the U.S. Senate's approval of the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act: "I'm very pleased that the Senate acted in bipartisan spirit today to approve the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act. I am grateful...

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2012–Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement today in support of President Obama's invitation to Mexico to join the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, pending successful conclusion of our domestic procedures. "I am happy to support President...

Audio WASHINGTON, June 19, 2012—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that $8.4 million in financial assistance is available to support 23 new partnership projects in several Mississippi River Basin states under USDA's Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI). These...

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2012 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the selection of 27 projects in 14 states to support small business and job creation opportunities and train workers in Native American communities. Janie Hipp Senior Advisor for Tribal Relations made the announcement on...

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2012 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA has approved a loan guarantee of $25 million to Myriant Corporation to help construct a bio-based production facility in Lake Providence, La. "This project will support the President's "all-of-the-above" energy...

WASHINGTON, June 15, 2012―Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its fiscal year 2011 scorecard on sustainability and energy performance. In FY 2011, USDA met or exceeded requirements in five of the seven sustainability areas that the scorecard addresses. Using the scorecard as a...

ORLANDO, Fla., June 15, 2012 -- Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today joined local officials, parents, children and partners to celebrate the first anniversary of the MyPlate food icon and to highlight MiPlato, USDA's Spanish-language food icon for MyPlate. Merrigan visited Orlando's...

"Today, the last significant federal hurdle has been cleared to allow consumers to buy fuel containing up to 15 percent ethanol (E15). This gets us one step closer to giving the American consumer a real choice at the pump. The public has a right to choose between imported oil and home-grown energy...

WASHINGTON, June 14, 2012 -- Today, USDA released the annual report, Expenditures on Children by Families, finding that a middle-income family with a child born in 2011 can expect to spend about $234,900 ($295,560 if projected inflation costs are factored in*) for food, shelter, and other...