Press Releases

Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11), Vice Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture, led a letter from the Congressional Black Caucus raising concerns on the nomination of Stephen Vaden as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture.
 
Their letter was sent to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-AR) and Senate Agriculture Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and criticizes Vaden’s past actions undermining civil rights, disregard for Black farmers, and support for cuts to SNAP benefits, hurting Black families nationwide. 
 
“My colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus are deeply concerned by Mr. Vaden’s record and urge the Senators to take a close look at his positions as they consider his nomination. We need a USDA that serves the interest of all Americans, and that is not possible with leadership that is hostile to civil rights and fairness,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11). 
 
“Mr. Vaden’s tenure as general counsel at the U.S. Department of Agriculture has had direct consequences. In addition to overlooking the interests of disadvantaged communities, Mr. Vaden led efforts to roll back numerous protections to empower and uplift Black farmers. It would be unacceptable to put Mr. Vaden in such a position of power to continue these harmful actions and attacks on our communities. For these reasons we do not believe that Mr. Vaden should be confirmed as the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture,” said Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke (NY-09).
 
The letter states that Vaden’s record, “reflects a pattern of undermining civil rights protections, disregarding equity in agricultural programs, and failing to uphold the fair treatment of Black farmers, producers, and ranchers.”
 
The letter continues, “During Mr. Vaden’s tenure as USDA General Counsel during the first Trump Administration, he oversaw numerous efforts to roll back protections for Black farmers who faced systemic discrimination in accessing USDA programs. Under his leadership, the Office of Civil Rights was significantly weakened, resulting in delayed and dismissed discrimination claims from Black and other minority farmers. Additionally, his legal approach consistently prioritized the agency’s interests over historically disadvantaged farming communities, reinforcing barriers to equitable access to USDA programs and resources.  
 
“Furthermore, Mr. Vaden facilitated harmful changes to federal nutrition policy, including not only more stringent work requirements, but also the altering eligibility criteria. These moves would have kicked thousands of people off the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). With 21 percent of Black households experiencing food insecurity, these policy changes to SNAP would have disproportionately impacted Black communities.”
 
The letter can be viewed here.