Carmen Rottenberg will be the Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety; Paul Kiecker will be the Acting Administrator.

A bipartisan group of 37 Senators calling for the swift reopening of the Chinese market after exports of U.S. chicken and turkey were banned in 2015.

Steve Censky has been CEO of the ASA for the past 21 years.

Slices ceremonial prime rib, meets with Chinese officials in Beijing.

The three countries discussed trade, NAFTA, during the meetings.

Acting Under Secretary of Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs among positions filled.

Some appointees may not get confirmed until after the August recess.

Under terms of the deal, beef must be derived from cattle less than 30 months of age.

Department budget is cut $24 billion from 2017 levels; includes large cuts to hunger assistance programs, Agricultural Research Service labs.

NCC calls for end to China’s ban on U.S. chicken exports.