CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – Former US Representative Xochitl Torres Small (D – NM), Cibola’s past delegate to Washington D.C., has been tapped by President Joe Biden to serve in in the Department of Agriculture as Under Secretary for Rural Development. This move makes Torres Small the second high-profile New Mexican tapped by President Biden to serve in his administration.
During her term in the US House of Representatives, Torres Small put forth efforts to expand rural internet access and healthcare for new moms, along with a series of other initiatives to expand workforce development in rural areas. According to US Senator Debbie Stabenow (D – MI) the position of Under Secretary for Rural Development was eliminated in 2017, reestablished by an act of congress in 2018, but has since sat vacant as no one was ever nominated for the position. If confirmed, Torres Small will be the first person in this position in over four years.
Torres Small represented Cibola County in congress during the 116th Congress from 2019-2021.
What does the position do?
The US Department of Agriculture is responsible for providing policy and practice on the nation’s food, agriculture – plant growth and animal husbandry, the nation’s natural resources, and rural development.
Specifically, if confirmed, Torres Small will be working as a supervisor to the Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and helping to form policy to benefit rural America. Primarily, the focus of the job is to help rural communities in the areas of business, utilities, and housing. The office gives assistance to rural America by offering policy ideas, grants and loans, and technical assistance to communities in need, according to the Department of Agriculture.
The office creates “Opportunity Zones” in low-income rural communities to help boost their access to the internet, focus on water and waste disposal, and small business growth.
What is the approval process?
Torres Small must be approved by the United States Senate to this position of under secretary, this will include a questioning by a senate committee and a majority vote in favor of her approval, before being considered by the full senate.
“I am very pleased to see President Biden nominate Xochitl Torres Small for this important post. She was a champion for rural development, particularly expanding high-speed internet, during her time in Congress, and I look forward to her nomination,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee which will likely oversee the first vote that Torres Small will need to pass.
From NM’s senators
Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D – NM) said, “By nominating Xochitl Torres Small to serve as Under Secretary of Rural Development, President Biden is giving America’s rural communities a strong and dedicated voice at USDA. Xochitl has a deep understanding of the issues facing rural residents and businesses, and she brings unmatched energy and empathy to solving our nation’s policy challenges. As a former member of the Blue Dog Coalition and Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, she also has a proven track record of bringing people together and reconciling diverse interests,” the senator added, “I look forward to confirming my good friend Xochitl and once again working together to help New Mexico’s rural communities recover and rebuild.”
Sen. Martin Heinrich (D – NM), the state’s senior senator, said, “President Biden could not have found a better suited person to lead his administration’s rural economic development work than Xochitl Torres Small. When she served alongside me in New Mexico’s Congressional Delegation, I was impressed with Xochitl’s ability to bring people together and solve a wide array of problems for her constituents in southern New Mexico. Her experience and her dedicated and pragmatic approach to public service will be incredibly valuable at a time when rural communities across the country re cover from the pandemic, diversify their economies, and build long-term, sustainable growth.” Sen. Heinrich explained, “I can’t wait to support her nomination and work with her once again to advance key investments in rural economies including universal broadband deployment, affordable housing, clean water and clean energy infrastructure, and assistance for small business owners.”