The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is urging the Senate Ag Committee to confirm key nominees for Undersecretary for Food Safety and Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs in the USDA. “Cattle producers need strong, stable leadership in top positions at USDA, and we ask the Senate to move quickly on confirming these highly qualified nominees,” says Ethan Lane, vice president of government affairs for NCBA. Dr. Jose Emilio Esteban, who currently serves in USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, is the nominee for Undersecretary for Food Safety. Alexis Taylor, the current director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, is the nominee for Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. NCBA has worked closely with Dr. Esteban, who they say is an extremely qualified candidate for the position of undersecretary. They also have worked closely with Taylor in previous roles at USDA and on Capitol Hill, calling her a “proven advocate for farmers and ranchers.”