Government Affairs Insights on Floral

April 21, 2025

Trump Taps in Doug Hoelscher as USTR Chief Agricultural Negotiator

On April 18, it was reported that President Donald Trump plans to nominate Doug Hoelscher to serve as Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). Prior to this, he most recently was serving as Chair of the American Leadership Initiative at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), the Trump-align think tant that was founded by now U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. Also of note, he is an Iowa native and veteran of both the George W. Bush and first Trump administrations where he held multiple positions throughout each of the presidential terms. He succeeds former Ambassador Doug McKalip who served in the same role under the Biden Administration.

USDA Announces New Presidential Appointments

On April 14, USDA announced the most recent slate of presidential appointments across the entire Department. Please refer to the following list of new names and appointments below:

Bailey Archey was appointed to serve as Policy Advisor in the Marketing and Regulatory Programs. She most recently worked for Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) as a Legislative Assistant covering her agriculture portfolio.
Kelsey Barnes was appointed to be a Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Rural Development, Biofuels (RDB), and Research, Education, and Economics. She most recently serves as the Director of Government Affairs at the Farm Journal Foundation and was previously Chief of Staff to the Rural Business Cooperative Service at USDA.
Bill Beam was appointed to be administrator for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) Production and Conservation. He formerly served as Deputy Administrator of Farm Programs for FSA in the first Trump Administration.
Aubrey Bettencourt was appointed to be Chief of the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). She most recently served as Global Director of Government Relations and External Affairs for Netafim, an Orbia Company.
Jordan Bonfitto was appointed Chief of Staff for Market and Regulatory Programs. He most recently served as Director of Governmental Affairs at the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.
Seth W. Christensen was appointed as Director of Communications of USDA. He most recently served as Assistant Agency Director and the Chief of Media, Communications, and Preparedness at the Texas Division of Emergency.
Trey Forsyth was appointed as Chief of Staff for Food Safety. He formerly served as a Professional Staff Member for the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry under Chairman John Boozman (R-AR).
Dr. Jaye L. Hamby was appointed Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Hamby previously led and directed proprietary research efforts.
Natalie Ihrman was appointed Press Secretary. She previously worked for Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
Dr. Alveda King was appointed Senior Advisor on Faith and Community Outreach. She is a guardian of The King Family Legacy, Chair of the AFPI Center for the American Dream, founder of Alveda King Ministries, and co-founder of She Leads Georgia and Speak for Life.
Courtney Knupp was appointed to be Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary for Trade and Food Safety. She most recently served as the Vice President of International Market Development at the National Pork Board.
Maggie Linden was appointed Senior Advisor for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. She previously worked in government relations for clients in the agriculture and food industry.
David Matthews was appointed Director of State Operations for Rural Development. He previously served in the Food and Nutrition Service, the Farm Service Agency, and as a representative of the White House.
James Miller was appointed Administrator for the Food and Nutrition Service. Miller has extensive senior leadership experience in financial and operational management across the healthcare, nonprofit, and government sectors.
Brian Mizoguchi was appointed Deputy General Counsel. He previously served in the Office of General Counsel at USDA as both an Associate and Assistant General Counsel.
Ricki Schroder was appointed Chief of Staff for Research, Education, and Economics. He previously served as Professional Staff for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture under Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA).
Alison Slagell was appointed Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Farm Production and Conservation, and Immigration. She previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK).
Tucker Stewart was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations. He most recently served as General Counsel and the Senior Agricultural Policy Advisor for Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS).
Pat Swanson was appointed Administrator for the Risk Management Agency within Farm Production and Conservation. She most recently served as director for the American Soybean Association and completed her term on the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Board.
T.W. Shannon was appointed Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Rural Prosperity. He served as the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2013 to 2014.
Carlee Tousman was appointed Director of Special Projects. She previously served as Director of Events at Teneo and as Deputy Communications Director for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.
Alec Varsamis was appointed Deputy Director of Communications. He previously served in the first Trump Administration as Press Secretary at USDA.
Audra Weeks was appointed Director of External and Intergovernmental Affairs. She served in the first Trump Administration as Deputy Press Secretary.

Trump Announces 90-day Tariff Pause

On April 9, President Trump announced plans to temporarily halt the country-specific reciprocal tariffs for 90-days, with the exception to the tariffs applied to China. Following the announcement, the White House clarified that all countries’ reciprocal tariffs will be brought down to the 10% baseline rate, except for tariffs on China which current sit at a rate of 145%, at of the time of this writing. In retaliation, China has continued to raise reciprocal tariffs on U.S. products, now at 125% from their previous 84% rate. Assuming no new trade agreements are reached within the 90-day period, the temporary pause regarding individualized reciprocal tariffs will be reinstated come July 8. The weekend following the announcement, Trump signaled that machines used to make semiconductors and consumer electronics (smartphones, computers, etc.) made in China will be exempt from U.S. imposed tariffs. All this comes after the “Liberation Day” announcement of the widespread global reciprocal tariffs earlier this month, that seemed to trigger large swings and turmoil in the stock and bond markets. President Trump and Department of the Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is expected to help take a lead in trade negotiations, relayed that more than 75 countries have come to the negotiating table and are willing to secure lower duties. The tariffs placed on Mexico and Canada have remained unchanged from their previous settings which means United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) compliant goods will continue to see a 0% tariff, non-USMCA compliant goods will see a 25% tariff, and non-USMCA compliant energy and potash will see a 10% tariff, as well as the 25% tariff on all foreign automobiles. As more trading partners come to the table during this time, the Trump Administration’s trade goals of eliminating trade barriers, both on tariffs and regulations, and reversing the U.S. trade deficit seem to remain at the center of negotiations. Developments of note, after the 90-day pause was announced, the European Union (EU) announced its pause on pending retaliatory tariffs. Before being paused, the EU planned to impose duties of up to 25% on about $23 billion in U.S. exports. The tariffs targeted soybeans, poultry, nuts, and other agricultural products. Members of the EU have indicated they will negotiate with the U.S. and hope to avoid implementing retaliatory tariffs moving forward.

Senate Ag Holds USDA Nominations Hearings

On April 8, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a nomination hearing for the Honorable Stephen Vaden, of Tennessee, to be the next Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Mr. Tyler Clarkson, of Virginia, to be General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Generally, Republicans and Democrats agreed on the importance of strong leadership at USDA to address challenges facing rural America. Republicans focused on the nominations of Judge Stephen Vaden and Tyler Clarkson, emphasizing their roles in supporting the USDA's mission and addressing economic struggles in agriculture. Democrats repeatedly criticized the Trump Administration’s blanket tariff policy, the recent funding freezes at USDA, and the necessity for USDA leadership to uphold the rule of law and support rural communities. Other topics of discussion throughout the nomination included foreign market development and various barriers to trade, importance of reauthorizing a new five-year farm bill, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements, and rural development. While no date has officially been set to confirm either nominee, it is likely the Agriculture Committee, and the full Senate will vote and consider their nominations during the next work period in May after the two-week Easter/Passover recess. You can watch the full nomination hearing here.

Government Affairs Insights on Floral

Additional Press