LETTER: PDE Action Endorses Stephen Vaden for the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture

Chairman John Boozman
Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar
U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
328A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

March 26, 2025

Dear Chairman Boozman and Ranking Member Klobuchar,

As the executive director of PDE Action – a nonprofit social welfare organization created to advocate for parental rights at the local, state, and federal level – I wish to convey our organization’s support for Judge Stephen Vaden as the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald J. Trump.

The USDA desperately needs a perceptive leader with the situational awareness who recognizes that agricultural stakeholders include consumers and families – and we believe that Stephen Vaden is exactly the kind of astute mind that this role demands. He does not parrot politically correct talking points to curry favor with Washington D.C.’s chattering class but is instead one who takes decisive action in the face of injustice.

Judge Vaden’s resume is tailor-made for this role; having previously served as the agency’s general counsel, he is intimately familiar with its operations and responsibilities, efficiently and effectively managing a heavy litigation burden while streamlining departmental operations. Hailing from a family farm, Judge Vaden knows the role that USDA can and should play in American agriculture – as well as the bright lines where such government intervention and intrusion burdens small farmers. Not to mention his professional experience as an appellate litigator in private practice—and graduating from the nation’s top law school.

At Parents Defending Education Action, we are proud to endorse Stephen Vaden for deputy secretary of the USDA and urge to the Senate to move quickly to officially confirm his position.

Sincerely,
Nicole Neily
Executive Director
Parents Defending Education Action