Few Farm Service Agency and Rural Development state director positions filled; could hurt Biden's rural outreach

"The Biden administration has only appointed 22 state directors for the Agriculture Department’s Farm Service Agency and Rural Development branch, out of more than 100 open spots, a major delay compared to the Trump administration," Ximena Bustillo reports for Politico's Weekly Agriculture. "At this point in the Trump administration, nearly every state position was announced."

The jobs, which are political appointments that don't require Senate confirmation but do call for political consultation, are mostly being filled by acting directors, including in some of the nation's most rural states. Only nine states have both roles filled, Bustillo reports. The appointment process also went slowly during Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack's first term in the job, under Barack Obama in 2009.

"Some rural advocates consider the lack of appointees as a missed opportunity for the Biden administration to get people on the ground in each state, communicating changes and taking credit for Biden’s agenda," Bustillo reports. The appointees "play key leadership roles in making sure funds for programs such as rural broadband and other infrastructure projects get into local hands. That means the absence of state directors could hamper Democrats’ ability to claim credit in rural areas for their biggest policy achievements, like the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package Biden signed last month."

USDA is dealing with lower staffing levels overall, which Vilsack has blamed on Trump administration hiring freezes and funding cuts, Bustillo reports.