Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 12/6/21

Where are USDA’s state directors? Out of more than 100 state directors for USDA’s Farm Service Agency and Rural Development branch that President Joe Biden is supposed to appoint, he has only filled 22 slots so far, reports your host.

A large majority of the roles are currently filled by acting directors. Only nine states have both roles filled. And some of the country’s most rural states, like West Virginia, and some of the top agricultural states in the West and Midwest are still operating with acting officials in the top FSA and Rural Development roles. (See FSA and RD.)

By contrast, at this point in the Trump administration, nearly every state position was announced.

A missed opportunity for rural America: Some rural advocates consider the lack of appointees as a missed opportunity for the Biden administration to get people on the ground in each state, communicating changes and taking credit for Biden’s agenda.

The political appointees, which don’t need Senate confirmation, play key leadership roles in making sure funds for programs such as rural broadband and other infrastructure projects get into local hands.

That means the absence of state directors could hamper Democrats’ ability to claim credit in rural areas for their biggest policy achievements, like the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package Biden signed last month.

White House officials say they’re working on filling the positions: “These positions are critically important as we continue our work to support rural America, and we have strong acting leadership in place in most of these roles,” a White House spokesperson said.

“We look forward to continuing to share appointees with the requisite expertise and leadership for these jobs, so that USDA can continue its important work serving rural communities.”

USDA’s larger staffing issues: The slow pace of the political appointments comes amid wider staffing woes for USDA. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack started his current term with 6,853 fewer employees in 2021 than when he left the Obama administration in 2016, according to department data.

“Under Secretary Vilsack’s leadership, it is a top priority of the department to not only fill outstanding political appointments, but also to rebuild our federal civil service workforce so we can continue to carry out this critical work,” USDA spokesperson Kate Waters said.

Regular MA readers may recall that Vilsack has previously attributed the overall lower staffing levels to the Trump administration’s decisions to reduce headcount at the department through hiring freezes and funding cuts.

“Under the Trump administration we saw four years of active efforts to reduce and in places eliminate USDA’s federal civilian workforce, crippling USDA’s ability to serve rural communities,” Waters said.

On the road: Vilsack was in Pennsylvania on Friday to announce climate-related ag infrastructure investments, including a $633 million investment aimed at “reducing the impacts of climate change” in rural communities, with $1 million specifically for rural communities in Pennsylvania. Next up, the secretary is scheduled to visit Ohio this week.