Policy Updates: Key ag trade and USDA posts filled as Senate confirms Trump nominees

Key ag trade and USDA posts filled as Senate confirms Trump nominees (Agri-Pulse): In one of its last major actions of 2025, the U.S. Senate approved a large slate of nearly 100 administration nominees, including several key figures for agricultural trade and USDA leadership. The confirmation package passed largely along party lines with a 53-43 vote, and it includes Julie Callahan as the new chief agricultural negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative as well as President Trump’s selections for USDA positions such as inspector general, undersecretary for food safety, and assistant agriculture secretary. Callahan, who has worked on agricultural trade policy at USTR since 2016 and earned backing from numerous farm and trade groups, even attracted a few Democratic votes in committee despite broader opposition from party leaders.

Other nominees confirmed in the package bring experience from within USDA and previous administrations. For example, Mindy Brashears returns to her former role overseeing food safety after academic work, and John Walk moves into the USDA inspector general post after serving as a senior agency adviser and judicial officer. Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman praised the confirmed officials as highly qualified and emphasized the need to fill these roles. The broader nominations push contributes to a notably high tally of confirmations for this administration’s first year, surpassing previous years’ totals.