"News that President-elect Joe Biden has picked former Obama administration Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to run the agency anew has drawn disappointment from some who felt he was too aligned with major agriculture corporations during his previous stint.

Vilsack, a former Iowa governor who served eight years at the head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), would come to the job from his current role as president of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, a major dairy lobby.

Large agriculture groups, from the more conservative-learning Farm Bureau to the more left-leaning Farmers Union, and a host of commodity groups have largely praised the return of a familiar face that was easy to work with."

Rebecca Beitsch reports for The Hill December 9, 2020. [2]