Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) president Dennis Slater sent a letter to U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Ranking Member John Boozman (R-Ark.) supporting the confirmation of the Honorable Thomas Vilsack to serve as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture:

“We have always valued Secretary Vilsack’s strong focus on collaboration and partnership with the private sector, and are confident in his ability to provide strong leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management," the letter reads. "His commitment to opening new markets for U.S. growers as well as efforts to promote the benefits of precision agriculture make him a great choice to lead the Department of Agriculture. We are confident that he understands the close ties between rural America and manufacturing, and the essential role that equipment manufacturers play in building, powering, and feeding the world."

Read the letter here.

Equipment manufacturers support one in eight manufacturing jobs in America, and the 2.8 million men and women of our industry make the equipment that build, power, and feed the world and positively impact the lives of every American every day. To learn more about the economic contribution of U.S. equipment manufacturers, visit www.aem.org/impact.

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