U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack made the following statement on the Senate Confirmation of Jeffrey Prieto as General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"I am grateful for Jeff's ongoing commitment to America's rural communities and I look forward to the contributions he will make in his new role as General Counsel. A skilled public servant with many years of experience in the federal government, Jeff has worked diligently as part of the USDA team since his arrival as Principal Deputy General Counsel in June of 2014. Before joining USDA, Jeff served with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Environment and Natural Resources Division since 1999, most recently as the Deputy Executive Officer and General Counsel. I am certain that as USDA's General Counsel, Jeff will continue to advocate on behalf of America's ranchers, farmers and families with integrity, expertise and purpose."