During a Senate Agriculture, Forestry, and Nutrition Committee hearing prior to the congressional recess, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) questioned Stephen Vaden, nominee for Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, about the impact of President Trump’s tariffs.
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00:00Thank you Mr. Chairman. Judge, I think your most important qualification for this job
00:11is you're a fan of the Tennessee Walking Horses as we are in Kentucky and believe it or not you
00:19even know where the Banana Festival is in Fulton County. Having checked those two boxes you're
00:28obviously totally qualified for this job. Look I think you know that we're all concerned about the
00:35tariff issue. I don't know what kind of impact the Agricultural Department will have on the
00:44administration's tariff policy but it is quite concerning to Kentucky farmers. We're the 13th
00:54largest exporter of agricultural goods and believe it or not even bourbon is considered
01:06agriculture because it's made from a whole lot of corn largely grown in Kentucky. What the Canadians
01:15have already done is take the bourbon off the shelves. Just taking it off the shelves. And
01:23that was the first blow that they landed on us. So give me your thoughts about where this all ends
01:36for American agriculture. Well Senator I appreciate your commentary and I hope I can see you at a
01:47future Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration or Banana Festival in the years to come. When it
01:53comes to your point about trade I am reminded you won't be surprised of the department's statutory
01:59responsibility. Congress has charged the secretary of agriculture and a department as a whole with not
02:06only informing the president but informing the rest of the cabinet about the effect of items under
02:14consideration on the economy of rural America. And that is what we've got to be. We've got to be a voice
02:21to let all of the policy makers know what the policies that they are considering will do in rural
02:28America and suggest ways that those policies can better help rural America. When it comes to my
02:34role in that Senator, I've been called many things throughout my career. Quiet has never been one of
02:40them. So you can rest assured that I will be a voice within the administration letting them know where
02:45there are opportunities that they can do more for rural America and America's farmers.
02:50Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator. Senator