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Media Advisory No. 0016.17
Contact: USDA Press
Phone: (202) 720-4623
Email: press@xxxxxxxxxxx
TOMORROW: Secretary Perdue to Host Inaugural Agriculture and Rural Prosperity Task Force Meeting
Cabinet Secretaries and Government Officials to join meeting at USDA
(Washington, D.C., June 14, 2017) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will host the inaugural meeting of the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity TOMORROW, June 15th at 10:00 a.m. ET. In April, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order establishing the task force “to ensure the informed exercise of regulatory authority that impacts agriculture and rural communities.” As Secretary of Agriculture, Perdue was selected to serve as the task force’s chairman.
TOMORROW, Secretary Perdue will be joined by Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Ajit Pai, and other government officials.
The purpose of this inaugural meeting is to set the stage for work the Task Force must do to identify legislative, regulatory, and interagency policy changes and actions that promote agriculture and economic development, and quality of life in rural America. While the task force vision statement is to provide rural America with the world-class resources, tools, and support to build robust, sustainable communities for generations to come, further background information on the Task Force and the President’s executive order is in the background below.
The Rural Prosperity Task Force Inaugural Meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET TOMORROW, Thursday, June, 15th.
*NOTE: Any media interested in attending must RSVP to press@xxxxxxxxxxx by TODAY, Wednesday, June 14th at 7:00 p.m. ET in order to receive a press credential. See below for event details.
| Event: |
Secretary Perdue hosts inaugural meeting of Agriculture and Rural Prosperity Task Force |
| Location: |
USDA Whitten Building Patio
1400 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20250
(Enter on Jefferson Drive side of Whitten Building) |
| Date: |
June 15, 2017 |
| Meeting Start Time: |
10:00 a.m. ET |
| Press Entrance: |
U.S. Department of Agriculture Whitten Building – Jefferson Drive side.
*NOTE: YOU MUST REQUEST A PRESS CREDENTIAL HERE – ONLY A CONFIRMED MEDIA CREDENTIAL WILL ALLOW ACCESS TO EVENT.
|
| Press Doors Open: |
8:00a.m. ET |
| Lighting and Audio: |
TV quality lighting; Mult-box provided |
| Security Information: |
Members of the media must show press badge upon entry to building and keep that badge on at all times. |
Background:
President Trump’s Executive Order established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity “to ensure the informed exercise of federal authority that impacts agriculture and rural communities.” As Secretary of Agriculture, Perdue serves as the task force’s chairman.
The task force will examine and consider, among other issues, current barriers to economic prosperity in rural America and how innovation, infrastructure and technology may play a role in long-term, sustainable rural prosperity. The panel will strengthen federalism by working with state agencies charged with implementing economic, community and global market development, including agricultural programs, while also emphasizing regulatory flexibility for farms and small businesses. With a dependence on sound science, task force members will examine technology, including bioengineering and crop protection tools, used by farmers and also address concerns regarding workforce needs for agricultural jobs. Additionally, the group will focus on policies that allow family farms to remain intact, including information connectivity and tax reform, while also protecting against federal takeover of state-adjudicated water rights, permitting and licensing, and other requirements beyond what is provided in law. Finally, members will look to improve food safety and the implementation of food safety laws, but also recognize the unique nature of farming and the diverse structures of rural businesses.
The task force is required to issue a report with recommendations for legislative or administrative actions within 180 days. The task force consists of representatives from the following cabinet agencies and executive branch departments:
- Secretary of the Treasury;
- Secretary of Defense;
- Attorney General;
- Secretary of the Interior;
- Secretary of Commerce;
- Secretary of Labor;
- Secretary of Health and Human Services;
- Secretary of Transportation;
- Secretary of Energy;
- Secretary of Education;
- Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;
- Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission;
- Director of the Office of Management and Budget;
- Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy;
- Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy;
- Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers;
- Director of the Domestic Policy Council;
- Director of the National Economic Council;
- Administrator of the Small Business Administration;
- United States Trade Representative;
- Director of the National Science Foundation; and
- Heads of such other executive departments, agencies, and offices as the President or the Secretary of Agriculture may, from time to time, designate.
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