SW New Mexico News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, May 10, 2023, Xochitl Torres Small participated in a Senate Nomination Hearing. Ahead of Torres Small’s hearing, Rep. Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) wrote a letter to the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee to voice his support of the nomination of Xochitl Torres Small to serve as the next Deputy Secretary of US Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

“Ensuring New Mexico has a strong voice at USDA will help farmers, ranchers and consumers across our nation,” said Rep. Vasquez. “When it comes to understanding my district’s needs and the needs of the agriculture industry across the country, there is no better candidate for this position than Xochitl Torres Small.” 

Agriculture is a crucial sector of New Mexico’s and the nation’s economy. New Mexico’s contribution to the nation’s food system includes staple crops like Hatch green chile, white and yellow onions, cotton, pecans and important dairy products.

“In her short term as Under Secretary of Rural Development for USDA, Xochitl Torres Small has illustrated an impressive record: overseeing loans and grants to improve infrastructure, affordable housing, and community facilities,” said Rep. Vasquez. “Xochitl Torres Small’s unique work experience makes her particularly qualified.”

Rep. Vasquez calls for an expedient process to move her confirmation forward. 

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The full text of the letter from Rep. Vasquez is below.

Dear Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Boozman,

I write to voice my support for the nomination of Xochitl Torres Small to serve as the next Deputy Secretary of Agriculture for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). When it comes to understanding my district’s needs and the needs of farmers across the country, there is no better candidate for this position than Xochitl Torres Small. 

Ensuring New Mexico has a strong voice at USDA will help farmers, ranchers, and consumers across our nation. New Mexico’s agricultural sector is critical to our country’s economy as it includes a diverse base of agricultural products and goods, including but not limited to cattle, chile, onions, cotton, dairy, hay, corn, and pecans. New Mexico’s contribution to the country’s economy includes being the nationwide leader in 2021 for chile and pecan production, ranking third for onion production, ninth for milk production, and sixteenth for cattle and calf production. 

In her short term as Under Secretary of Rural Development for USDA, Xochitl Torres Small has illustrated an impressive record by overseeing loans and grants to improve infrastructure, affordable housing, and community facilities. Under her leadership, USDA Rural Development secured $2 billion to support rural broadband through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

Xochitl Torres Small’s unique work experience makes her particularly qualified to understand the needs of my district. She began her work in New Mexico, where she served as a field organizer in Colonias located in southern New Mexico. In Congress, she proudly represented New Mexico’s 2 nd Congressional District, where she always put farmers and communities in need first while sitting on the House Agriculture Committee. Clearly, there is no better choice to ensuring my constituents have a voice at USDA than with the appointment of Xochitl Torres Small to this position. I strongly support her appointment as the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. 

Thank you for taking the time to consider this recommendation and I reiterate my strong endorsement for Xochitl Torres Small to serve as the next Deputy Secretary of Agriculture of USDA and urge your committee to move her nomination expeditiously. 

 

Sincerely,

Gabe Vasquez

Member of Congress

Original source can be found here.