NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Former New Mexico Congresswoman, Xochitl Torres Small has been nominated by President Biden to become the next Deputy Secretary for the United States Department of Agriculture.
Xochitl Torres Small currently serves as the USDA’s Under Secretary for Rural Development. Torres Small spent one term representing Southern New Mexico’s second district and was a member of the House Agricultural Committee. She was not only the first woman but also the first person of color to represent New Mexico’s second congressional district.
If Torres Small is confirmed as Deputy Agriculture Secretary she will be the second-highest-ranking official at the USDA. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack speaks highly of her stating, “Torres Small has been an exemplary member of the USDA subcabinet and a dedicated advocate for rural communities.”
Xochitl Torres Small grew up in the borderlands of New Mexico. She has worked as a field representative for Senator Tom Udall, has a law degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law, and has worked as an attorney practicing water and natural resources law.
