Press Release - President Biden Announces Xochitl Torres Small as Nominee for Deputy Secretary of Agriculture

WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Xochitl Torres Small to serve as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture at the U.S Department of Agriculture.

Xochitl Torres Small, Nominee for Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture

Xochitl Torres Small was confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as the Under Secretary for Rural Development on October 7, 2021. Prior to serving as Under Secretary, Torres Small was a United States Representative for New Mexico's second congressional district, the fifth largest district in the country. As a United States Representative, Torres Small served as a member of the House Agriculture Committee, the House Armed Services Committee, and as Chairwoman of the Oversight, Management, and Accountability Subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee. Torres Small was the first woman and first person of color to represent New Mexico's second congressional district.

The granddaughter of farmworkers, Torres Small grew up in the borderlands of New Mexico. She has worked as a Field Representative for Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), clerked for United States District Court Judge Robert C. Brack, and served as an attorney practicing water and natural resources law.