Editing Tom Vilsack (section)

==Secretary of Agriculture (2009–2017)==
===Appointment===
[[File:Tom Vilsack, official USDA photo portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Vilsack's 2009 official portrait during his first tenure as Agriculture secretary]]
[[File:20110816-OSEC-LSC-0457 - Flickr - USDAgov.jpg|thumb|right|Vilsack introduces President [[Barack Obama]] at the [[Northeast Iowa Community College]], for a White House Rural Economic Forum on August 16, 2011.]]

On December 17, 2008, then-President-elect [[Barack Obama]] announced his choice of Vilsack as the nominee to be the 30th [[United States Secretary of Agriculture|Secretary of Agriculture]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/16/transition.wrap/index.html |title=Sources: Obama to tap Vilsack as agriculture secretary |website=[[CNN]] |date=December 16, 2008 |access-date=September 5, 2012 |archive-date=November 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105171656/http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/16/transition.wrap/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Vilsack has governed a largely agricultural state as did the previous two Secretaries of Agriculture, [[Mike Johanns]] (who was later a United States Senator from Nebraska) (2005–2007) and [[Ed Schafer]] (2007–2009).

The Senate confirmed Vilsack's nomination for the position by unanimous consent on January 20, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/20/senate-confirms-6-obama-cabinet-officials-omb-director/|title=Senate confirms 6 Obama Cabinet officials, OMB director|website=[[CNN]]|date=January 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122210647/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/20/senate-confirms-6-obama-cabinet-officials-omb-director/ |archive-date=January 22, 2009 }}</ref>

Reaction to Vilsack's nomination from agricultural groups was largely positive and included endorsements from the [[Corn Refiners Association]], the National Grain and Feed Association, the [[National Farmers Union (United States)|National Farmers Union]], the [[American Farm Bureau Federation]], and the [[Environmental Defense Fund]].<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Sally|last=Schuff|title=Obama picks Vilsack for ad secretary|magazine=Feedstuffs|date=December 22, 2008|page=1}}</ref> Vilsack was the founder and former chair of the Governor's Biotechnology Partnership, and was named Governor of the Year by the [[Biotechnology Industry Organization]], an industry [[lobbying]] group.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bio.org:80/news/pressreleases/newsitem.asp?id=2001_0920_01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218213047/http://www.bio.org/news/pressreleases/newsitem.asp?id=2001_0920_01|title=BIO – Iowas Vilsack Named BIO Governor of the Year|date=September 20, 2001|website=Bio Technology Industry Organization|access-date=May 21, 2017|archive-date=December 18, 2008|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===Actions===
Vilsack appointed [[Shirley Sherrod]] as the Georgia Director of Rural Development, saying she would be an "important advocate on behalf of rural communities".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ruraldevelopment.org/shirleydirector.html |title=Shirley Sherrod named Georgia Director of Rural Development |publisher=Ruraldevelopment.org |access-date=September 5, 2012 |archive-date=August 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100805094104/http://www.ruraldevelopment.org/shirleydirector.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Months after the appointment, Vilsack forced her to resign based on accusations of considering race in the handling of her job responsibilities at a private advocacy firm in 1986.<ref>{{cite news | url =https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/us/politics/22sherrod.html?_r=0 | title =With Apology, Fired Official Is Offered a New Job | newspaper =[[The New York Times]]| first1=Sheryl Gay|last1=Stolberg | author-link1=Sheryl Gay Stolberg|first2=Shaila|last2=Dewan |author-link2=Brian Stelter|first3=Brian|last3=Stelter | author-link3=Brian Stelter|date =July 21, 2010 | access-date =February 18, 2013 | archive-date =March 18, 2013 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20130318003959/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/us/politics/22sherrod.html?_r=0 | url-status =live }}</ref> Subsequent reports claimed that Vilsack had overreacted to a selectively edited tape of a speech that Sherrod had given to the [[NAACP]].  The edited tape had been posted online by conservative blogger [[Andrew Breitbart]].<ref>{{cite news|first=James|last=Oliphant|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-feb-14-la-pn-shirley-sherrod-andrew-breitbart-20110214-story.html%3f_amp=true|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201210162921/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-feb-14-la-pn-shirley-sherrod-andrew-breitbart-20110214-story.html?_amp=true|url-status= dead|archive-date= December 10, 2020|title= Shirley Sherrod sues Andrew Breitbart over video he posted that led USDA to fire her|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 14, 2011|access-date=December 11, 2020}}</ref> Vilsack expressed his "deep regret" to Sherrod in acting hastily.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vilsack-i-will-have-to-live-with-shirley-sherrod-mistake/ | work=[[CBS News]] | title=Vilsack: I Will Have to Live With Shirley Sherrod Mistake | first=Brian | last=Montopoli | date=July 21, 2010 | access-date=July 21, 2010 | archive-date=October 29, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029233605/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20011263-503544.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

On January 24, 2012, Obama appointed Vilsack the [[designated survivor]] during the President's [[State of the Union address]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Ed|last=O'Keefe|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/post/state-of-the-union-tom-vilsack-to-serve-as-cabinets-designated-survivor/2012/01/24/gIQA8WnhOQ_blog.html|title=State of the Union: Tom Vilsack to serve as Cabinet's 'designated survivor|date=January 24, 2012|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=January 24, 2012|archive-date=January 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126032805/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/post/state-of-the-union-tom-vilsack-to-serve-as-cabinets-designated-survivor/2012/01/24/gIQA8WnhOQ_blog.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Beef advocacy===
In March 2012, Vilsack joined three midwest governors in a campaign to defend the use of a processed beef product made from trimmings left after beef carcasses are butchered, dubbed "[[pink slime]]" by its critics. He said "it's safe, it contains less fat and historically it's been less expensive" and that it should be available to consumers and school districts that want to buy it.<ref>{{cite news | access-date= July 20, 2016 | title= Branstad, Vilsack team up to combat "smear" campaign against beef product | url= http://www.radioiowa.com/2012/03/29/branstad-vilsack-team-up-to-combat-smear-campaign-audio/ | publisher= Radio Iowa | date= June 1, 2012 | first= O. Kay | last= Henderson | archive-date= August 13, 2016 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160813103357/http://www.radioiowa.com/2012/03/29/branstad-vilsack-team-up-to-combat-smear-campaign-audio/ | url-status= live }}</ref>

===Global warming===
At a [[Drake University]] forum on [[climate change]] April 22, 2014, Vilsack stated "agriculture tends to take the brunt of criticism about climate change, but the industry contributes only 9{{spaces}}percent of the [[greenhouse gas]]es blamed for a warming planet" and that while there were "challenges globally in terms of agriculture and its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions that's not necessarily the case in the United States."<ref name=DM>{{cite news|title=Vilsack: Agriculture unfairly blamed for climate change|url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/agriculture/green-fields/2014/04/22/vilsack-climate-change-drake-university/8009591/|newspaper=[[Des Moines Register]]|access-date=April 24, 2014|first=Donnelle|last=Eller|date=April 22, 2014}}</ref>

===Considered resignation===
In 2015, Vilsack told President Obama he was considering resigning from his position. ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported that he said, "There are days when I have literally nothing to do" as he weighed his decision to quit.<ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/tom-vilsacks-lonely-fight-for-a-forgotten-rural-america/2016/09/26/62d7ee64-7830-11e6-ac8e-cf8e0dd91dc7_story.html|title=Tom Vilsack's lonely fight for a 'forgotten' rural America|first1=Greg|last1=Jaffe|first2=Juliet|last2=Eilperin|date=September 26, 2016|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=May 21, 2017|archive-date=May 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525174356/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/tom-vilsacks-lonely-fight-for-a-forgotten-rural-america/2016/09/26/62d7ee64-7830-11e6-ac8e-cf8e0dd91dc7_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Obama asked Vilsack to remain in his position and asked him to look into the problem of [[opioid addiction]].<ref name="washingtonpost.com"/>