USDA will miss deadline for trade undersecretary report
August 06, 2014 | 04:07 PM
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said today that he will miss Thursday’s congressional deadline to submit a report on establishing an undersecretary for trade, and that he will not file it until he is satisfied it is complete.
Trade matters at USDA now are in the hands of an undersecretary for farm and foreign agricultural services, but the 2014 farm bill allows for a separate undersecretary for trade, and calls on USDA to submit a report to Congress on the establishment of that office. The report is due Thursday, the six-month anniversary of President Barack Obama’s signature on the farm bill.
But in a call to reporters Vilsack said the issue is very complicated and that the report is not yet ready.
Reorganizing USDA trade functions “is a very complicated question,” Vilsack said. “This doesn’t involve simply indicating to Congress whether this is a good idea or bad idea.”
There are a number of mission areas involved, Vilsack said, citing the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Foreign Agricultural Service and the Office of the Chief Economist. Other USDA officials have also noted that the U.S. Forest Service has a substantial trade component.
“It is important for us to really, really think about this, to make sure we have thought through all of the ramifications and the jurisdictional issues.”
Vilsack noted that those working at APHIS “clearly have a foreign trade responsibility,” sorting through “hundreds of problems” every year. But he added that APHIS also has domestic responsibilities.
“Do you divide APHIS? Do you move it? he asked.
Vilsack did not say when he would submit the report, but said he would not do so “until we have thought through all the aspects of this.”
He also noted that there are labor contract issues involved.
“This is not as simple as it seems at first blush,” Vilsack said. “ If it takes a little bit longer, so be it.”
Trade matters at USDA now are in the hands of an undersecretary for farm and foreign agricultural services, but the 2014 farm bill allows for a separate undersecretary for trade, and calls on USDA to submit a report to Congress on the establishment of that office. The report is due Thursday, the six-month anniversary of President Barack Obama’s signature on the farm bill.
But in a call to reporters Vilsack said the issue is very complicated and that the report is not yet ready.
Reorganizing USDA trade functions “is a very complicated question,” Vilsack said. “This doesn’t involve simply indicating to Congress whether this is a good idea or bad idea.”
There are a number of mission areas involved, Vilsack said, citing the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Foreign Agricultural Service and the Office of the Chief Economist. Other USDA officials have also noted that the U.S. Forest Service has a substantial trade component.
“It is important for us to really, really think about this, to make sure we have thought through all of the ramifications and the jurisdictional issues.”
Vilsack noted that those working at APHIS “clearly have a foreign trade responsibility,” sorting through “hundreds of problems” every year. But he added that APHIS also has domestic responsibilities.
“Do you divide APHIS? Do you move it? he asked.
Vilsack did not say when he would submit the report, but said he would not do so “until we have thought through all the aspects of this.”
He also noted that there are labor contract issues involved.
“This is not as simple as it seems at first blush,” Vilsack said. “ If it takes a little bit longer, so be it.”
