American Farm Bureau Federation expressed its appreciation for Tom Vilsack’s confirmation as the new secretary of agriculture.

“AFBF congratulates Tom Vilsack on his confirmation as the next Secretary of Agriculture. His strong track record of leadership and previous experience at USDA will serve rural America well,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall.

“Secretary Vilsack and I have spoken several times in recent weeks about opportunities and challenges facing America’s farmers and ranchers, and I look forward to close collaboration,” Duvall said.

Vilsack is a former Iowa governor and previously led the USDA during the Obama administration. He received bipartisan backing during his Feb. 2 confirmation hearing and was approved by the Senate and sworn in Feb. 23.

Duvall said the organization plans to work with Vilsack on resuming the CARES Act program and continuing to build on advances made in trade.