President Obama

As Agriculture Secretary Vilsack said today during a national media call, Congress must now take action on an important part of President Obama's jobs agenda: new trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea and trade adjustment assistance to help train workers for the 21st century economy...

Cross posted from the White House Blog Since the establishment of the White House Rural Council in June, President Barack Obama, a number of senior Administration officials and I met with folks throughout the country to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing rural America. By...

This past week, I traveled to the West Coast to connect with local leaders about President Barack Obama’s American Jobs Act, which will put Americans to work and get our economy back on track – all without adding a dime to the deficit. It was a rewarding experience meeting the great people of...

All Colorado State University (CSU) researcher Laura Bellows wanted to do was make a difference in people’s lives. She ended up being recognized as one of the most promising young scientists in the country. On Sept. 26, President Obama selected Bellows to receive the 2011 Presidential Early Career...

Biofuels – fuel from plant materials – may hold only vague meaning for many Americans. But they are an opportunity our nation cannot afford to pass up. When mixed with the gas that powers our cars and trucks, biofuels saved drivers almost 90 cents per gallon at the pump last year.

President Obama has named Dr. Samuel L. Zelinka , a U.S. Forest Service scientist, as a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their...

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport served as a dramatic backdrop today for an announcement by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack that delivers $136 million in research and development grants to public and private sector partners in 22 states. In short, the grants look to make energy for autos and...

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to speak before a group of city and town planners at a forum hosted by the American Planning Association. Before I spoke I asked the crowd to raise their hands if they had worked in a community of less than 50,000 population. To my surprise, three-quarters of...

President Obama has made openness a high priority, committing his Administration to an “unprecedented level of openness in Government” on his first full day in office. Since then, the Administration has disclosed more and more information requested under the Freedom of Information Act. We have made...

At USDA, we look every day to support America’s farmers and ranchers stay profitable, safe and successful in their work to provide this country with the reliable and affordable supply of food, fiber – and increasingly – fuel we need. This week, National Farm Safety and Health Week, President Obama...