In a weekend turn of events that took many by surprise, Texas attorney Brooke Rollins emerged as President-elect Donald Trump's pick to helm the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Rollins, the president and CEO of the conservative nonprofit America First Policy Institute (AFPI), founded in 2021, is set to play a crucial role in safeguarding American farmers, who are the very backbone of our nation.

"Brooke Rollins: A Champion for America's Agricultural Communities"

Background

Rollins, 52, hails from Glen Rose, Texas. Growing up on a family farm, she actively participated in FFA, serving as a state officer, and was also involved in 4-H. Her family still resides in Fort Worth. In a Sunday post on X, expressing gratitude for well wishes after the nomination, she emphasized the impact of her agriculture teacher at Glen Rose High School, Gary Rosenbusch, who she credits with changing her life.Rollins graduated from Texas A&M University in 1994, becoming the first woman to be named student body president. She then went on to earn her law degree from the University of Texas. After law school, she worked at Hughes & Luce LLP in Dallas, which later merged with K&L Gates. She served as the president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) for 15 years and was also former Texas governor Rick Perry's policy director. In 2018, she was appointed an assistant to the president for intergovernmental and technology initiatives and director of the Office of American Innovation. She held these positions until May 2020, when Trump appointed her director of the Domestic Policy Council until the end of his first administration. After leaving office in 2021, she co-founded the AFPI with former Trump adviser Larry Kudlow and has served as its president and CEO since.

Policy History

During her first year in the Trump administration, Rollins is reported to have played a role in the First Steps Act, a bill that overhauled the criminal justice system and was signed into law in December 2018. While at the TPPF, the organization was involved in a lawsuit seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act and influenced various other conservative policy initiatives in Texas.At the AFPI, Rollins and the organization were deeply engaged with the Trump 2024 campaign on policy issues. Their website features an agenda with 10 "pillars," emphasizing the need for policies that put American citizens first. However, there is limited information on the AFPI website or in its agenda regarding how it views agriculture policy, except for calls to ban Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland. Politico reported that Rollins' ag policy experience compared to other members of the Trump team's shortlist for USDA leadership led to intense "jockeying" over the role until the Saturday announcement.If confirmed, Rollins will be responsible for overseeing the USDA's $430 billion yearly budget and its significant influence on the food industry. As agriculture secretary, she may collaborate closely with Trump's Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is expected to have a major impact on the food and agriculture sectors if confirmed.