WASHINGTON, DC – The Meat Institute today congratulated Brooke Rollins following the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of her nomination to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“Brooke Rollins’ passion for agriculture is clear and we know she will be a strong advocate for the entire agriculture and food value chain from production to harvest and beyond,” said Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO of the Meat Institute. “We look forward to working with her on issues important to the meat and poultry industry, which are important to consumers, producers, rural communities and the economic and national security of our nation.”

The Senate confirmed her nomination with a vote of 72-28. Upon her swearing-in, she becomes the 33rd Secretary of Agriculture.

Secretary Rollins takes the helm of USDA at a critical time for meat and poultry processors. The Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, written during the Biden Administration, wrongly excludes meat and poultry as part of a healthy dietary pattern. The unscientific and ideologically driven Report recommended reducing red and processed meats in Americans’ diets. Meat and poultry products are nutrient dense foods that help Americans meet their essential amino acid and nutrient requirements.

“We will work with Secretary Rollins to ensure the Dietary Guidelines for Americans focus is on improving dietary habits with real world recommendations,” said Potts. “It is important to provide clear dietary guidance to consumers on how they can include the meat products they need and want in their diets and also produce a positive, measurable health impact.” For more of the Meat Institute’s analysis on the 2025 Scientific Report and its flaws, go here.

The Meat Institute is ready to be a resource for the Secretary and the Trump Administration to tackle food inflation and has already identified burdensome regulations that if addressed, could reduce the upward pressure on food prices. These regulations include: the Biden Administration’s unwarranted changes to the Packers and Stockyards Act, the proposed Salmonella Framework for Raw Poultry Products (which should be withdrawn and re-proposed) and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Effluent Limitations Guidelines for Meat and Poultry Products.

In addition, the Meat Institute supports the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) long-awaited inspection modernization for pork and poultry processing.

About the Meat Institute

The Meat Institute represents the full community of people and companies who make the majority of meat American families rely on every day. The Meat Institute’s hands-on regulatory and technical expertise, proactive advocacy, unique convening power, collaboration within and beyond animal agriculture, and sector-leading continuous improvement initiatives drive relationships and resources that ensure meat continues to be a vital, trusted pillar of healthy diets and thriving communities for generations to come. To learn more, visit: MeatInstitute.org.