Tell Joe Biden: Reject Heidi Heitkamp for the Next Secretary of Agriculture

The transition from an industrial, polluting, wasteful agricultural system to one that supports the health of our soil, our crops and our people requires committed farmers—and committed leaders.

If, like us, you dream of an organic, regenerative food system led by independent family farmers, then reports that Joe Biden is considering former North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp as a potential Secretary of Agriculture should be a real cause for concern.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Joe Biden: Reject Heidi Heitkamp for the Next Secretary of Agriculture

Heitkamp’s voting record demonstrates a solid allegiance to corporate agribusiness. In 2016, she voted in favor of the DARK Act, joining all the Republicans and just two other Democrats in the Senate Committee on Agriculture in an effort to drastically weaken GMO labeling requirements, a bill which was heavily supported by Big Food industry groups.

Heitkamp was also the first Democratic Senator to endorse Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue. Perdue has deep ties to Big Food and Big Ag and has done the bidding for these pro-GMO, pro-pesticide and pro-industrial agriculture groups throughout his tenure.

In fact, before Perdue’s nomination for the position, Heitkamp herself had been one of Trump’s top picks for the position—a fact that couldn’t be more telling about what she truly stands for.

That’s just the beginning. Heitkamp has a long list of anti-environment votes as well. In 2015, she voted in favor of a bill that would overturn a key EPA clean water rule and thereby undermine the Clean Water Act. Heitkamp also voted in favor of the Keystone XL oil-sands pipeline.

Follow the money

Does all of this sound surprising? It becomes less so when you follow the money.

In her 2018 campaign to be re-elected to the Senate, Heitkamp received more campaign contributions from the “Crop Production and Basic Processing” industry than any other Senator. The corporate contributors in this sector are primarily in the sugar, cotton and corn industries—all of which rely primarily on GMO crops.

Heitkamp was also the Senator to receive the second highest amount from the “Agricultural Services and Products” industry in 2018, which represents contributors such as Monsanto and Koch Industries.

Clearly, Heitkamp is more beholden to entrenched corporate interests than the wellbeing of people, animals, land and climate. Is this really the person we want at the helm of the USDA, guiding our food and agriculture principles?

Agribusiness interests have a long history of political influence. Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture under President Obama from 2009-2017, was dubbed ‘Mr. Monsanto’ for his advocacy in favor of the DARK Act. As Iowa’s governor, he was named Governor of the Year by the Biotechnology Industry Organization. Today, he continues this work as the head of the US Dairy Export Council, which is deeply invested in perpetuating the system of CAFOs and the use of GMO feed.

Although Vilsack is no longer in Washington, his long-running political relationship with Biden is alive and well; Vilsack recently helped write Biden’s plan for rural America. Heitkamp, who stands for many of the same values as Vilsack, also has a strong history of mutual political support with Biden.

Heroes not zeroes

Isn’t it time for a Secretary of Agriculture who will champion the change we so desperately need, instead of the business-as-usual scenario represented by the likes of Heidi Heitkamp and Tom Vilsack?

The multiple crises of climate change, degenerative agricultural practices, deteriorating public health and struggling rural economies are converging toward a critical turning point. We need a USDA Secretary of Agriculture who will be a hero, steering our food and farming system toward a brighter, regenerative future—not a Secretary who will continue to be a pawn for the same corporate interests that are causing, and profiting from, the mess we are in.

We are calling on Biden to join forward-thinking family farmers and concerned citizens in rejecting the systems that have been failing farmers for decades.

Join us in asking him to choose a Secretary of Agriculture who is a real champion of organic farming. One who will prioritize the health of consumers, the interests of family farmers and workers, the wellbeing of animals, clean water and air, healthy soil and who will address climate change. America needs a Secretary of Agriculture who will steer our agricultural system towards a path of organic and regenerative food, farming, and land use, vitality and freedom from corporate control.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Joe Biden: Reject Heidi Heitkamp for the Next Secretary of Agriculture

Sign the Petition

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PETITION

Dear Joe Biden,

As a citizen concerned about public health, the environment and the wellbeing of our farmers, I urge you to reject the consideration of Heidi Heitkamp for USDA Secretary of Agriculture. Please also reject the consideration of any other business-as-usual candidate whose vision and experience extends only as far as supporting corporate agribusiness.

Heitkamp’s record concerns and dismays me. In 2016 she stood against the interests of American consumers like myself, who have a right to know about GMOs in our food, by voting in favor of the DARK Act. She has also sided with polluters in many important votes on the environment, including voting in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline. She also voted in favor of a bill that would overturn a key EPA clean water rule and thereby undermine the Clean Water Act. These are all unacceptable choices for our children’s future.

Although President Trump is in many ways the antithesis of what you say you stand for, the fact that Heitkamp was one of Trump’s original top picks for his own Secretary of Agriculture four years ago couldn’t be more telling about what she truly stands for. I am surprised you would consider the same candidate that Trump did.

Rural and urban voters alike want a Secretary of Agriculture who will champion the revitalization of rural communities through the development of independent, family-farm based organic and regenerative agriculture. Voters do NOT want a Secretary who will only perpetuate the exploitative systems that are currently profiting off of farmers and driving them to bankruptcy while destroying our public health, precious soil and climate.

Instead, we call on you to choose a real organic family farmer as Secretary of Agriculture—one who will prioritize the health of consumers, the interests of family farmers and workers, the wellbeing of animals, clean water and air, soil health and who will address climate change. At this critical moment, I urge you to do everything in your power to choose a USDA Secretary of Agriculture who is up to the job and who will steer our food and farming system towards a path of organic and regenerative food, farming, and land use, vitality and freedom from corporate control.

Thank you.

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