UnidosUS Celebrates Historic Bipartisan Confirmation of Xochitl Torres Small as Deputy Secretary of USDA

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Former New Mexico House Rep. becomes first Latina to serve in role  

WASHINGTON, DC— Janet Murguía, President and CEO of UnidosUS—the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization—issued the following statement on the historic confirmation of a longtime leader and advocate for rural communities, Xochitl Torres Small, as the new Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).  

“Xochitl Torres Small brings both a breadth of experience and a heartfelt commitment to underserved rural communities to her new position as Deputy Secretary of the USDA. Her work in her previous role as the Under Secretary for Rural Development improved the lives of millions of rural and Latino communities across the country. Under her leadership, Rural Development invested funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to push forward high-speed internet rollouts and made Inflation Reduction Act funds available to drive down energy costs for rural and Latino communities and small businesses.   

“Torres Smalls’ historic confirmation as the first Latina to ever serve in this role comes at an important moment. As a native of New Mexico’s borderlands and a granddaughter of farmworkers, she knows firsthand the vital role rural communities play in our nation’s economy. Those regions of our country are increasingly diverse, and we welcome this confirmation of a leader who reflects the communities she serves. Latino representation in our government is crucial in the fight for equity and to make historic strides in how, and who, our government serves. We congratulate President Biden for ensuring the administration looks like America with this history-making nomination and applaud the Senate for confirming her.”