Vilsack says administration’s work is not done.
President Biden’s decision to end his reelection campaign was both inevitable and shocking at once. While calls for the aging president to step down had grown in recent weeks, he’d remained defiant, consistently vowing stay in the race.
It’s been more than 50 years since a sitting president has chosen not to seek a second term. Now that Biden has officially dropped out, attention quickly turns to what that means for the country.
Vilsack says administration’s work will continue
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says Biden will go down in history as one of the country’s most consequential presidents. On Sunday only hours after Biden announced his decision, Vilsack issued a statement commending him for his work.
“In the 38 years that I have known President Biden, he has consistently and selflessly put our country first- and today is no exception,” Vilsack says.
The secretary credited Biden for leading the country out of the pandemic, reviving the economy and achieving record job growth. Vilsack says Biden’s leadership strengthened NATO and forged alliances to push back against China’s assertions. He also praised the president for his efforts to build a stronger economy around clean energy and climate-smart and resilient industries, including agriculture.
“I am immensely proud to play a role in the Biden-Harris Administration, under which USDA has advanced food and nutrition security for tens of millions, invested in new, better and more markets to create a fairer and better marketplace for all farmers, improved the health and resilience of our national forests and grasslands, made our food safer, and centered equity in all that we do,” Vilsack says. “This is an administration that embraces hope, optimism and a forward-looking view for American – and or work is not done.”
Within minutes of his withdrawal announcement, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him. Scores of Democrats followed his lead, endorsing the VP to take on Trump.
Democrat fundraising organization ActBlue announced it received $46.7 million in donations in the hours after Harris officially announced her candidacy. It was the most money the organization has received in a single day this election cycle.
What a Harris administration would mean for ag
It remains to be seen how a Harris’ agriculture policy would differ from Biden’s. She’s previously expressed support for massive government efforts to combat climate change similar to Biden.
The vice president’s trade policies are a mixed bag. In 2016, she opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal President Obama helped negotiate. Former President Donald Trump, who also opposed the deal, withdrew from it on his first day in office.
In 2020, Harris was one of 10 senators to vote against President Trump’s U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement. She said it did not include enough protections for workers.
Harris has been seen as an advocate for labor. On Sunday, the United Farm Workers announced it was endorsing her candidacy.
While running for Senate in 2016, Harris touted her efforts to promote animal welfare and enforce protection laws during her time as California Attorney General. Those efforts included defending a law banning foie gras, as well as laws banning the sale of hens kept in small cages.
It’s unclear if any of Harris’ policy positions have changed. She will presumably release more specifics as she ramps up her last-minute campaign. Then voters will decide if she’s better for the country than a Trump sequel.
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