President Trump’s nominee for USDA Rural Development Undersecretary Glen Smith testified at his Senate confirmation hearing this week.
Smith is a fifth-generation farmer from Iowa and currently serves as board member and former Chairman/CEO of the Farm Credit Administration.
Smith told senators that Rural Development’s many business programs, alone, aren’t enough to stem rural outmigration. The Farm Credit System board chairman said it will also take “quality of life” improvements, including utilities, hospitals, and fire stations.
“Infrastructure that contributes to the quality of life, because you’re not going to keep residents or attract residents, which would be even more positive, if you don’t have that quality of life. And rural development contributes hugely to that quality of life.”
And, on outside threats to infrastructure from cyber-attacks.
“Any programs that Rural Development is involved in should make sure we have adequate cybersecurity measures, because a lot of this can be done by bad characters simply from cybersecurity. They’re not going to show up at a site and plant a bomb at a substation. They’re going to do it on their computer.”
Smith also addressed possible White House plans to move programs out of the USDA, including housing.
“We’ve got the mechanism for these programs, and I couldn’t imagine it being in another area, other than USDA.”
And on bio-based products legislation and biofuels.
“Critical to rural America that we continue to use our biofuels, to use our agricultural products, and add value to them, and ethanol’s probably the shining example, and the shining success in America today.”
Smith also agreed that rural areas should have the same high-speed internet access as urban areas, but pointed out it’s up to Congress to fund that.
CLICK HERE to watch Smith’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Source: NAFB News Service
