I want the USDA to look like America, and I want it to be the best, most effectively managed agency in the U.S. That starts with good people.

I think overall, from a deputy, from an undersecretary standpoint, the goal of a good leader is to get diversity across there. Geographical diversity is important. Industry diversity is important: you can't have all corn growers... Not only that, you've got gender diversity, you've got racial diversity.

I'm going to be the unapologetic chief advocate, chief salesman for American agriculture products around the world. You grow 'em, we're going to sell 'em.

I'm not sure about public apologies on behalf of other people as far as the motivation for them.

I haven't run across anyone in Georgia who is not regretful and repentant of man's inhumanity when you talk about owning one another.

In Georgia, agriculture is one area where Democrats and Republicans consistently reached across the aisle and work together.

We have seen levee breaks and flooding in the wake of storms, some of which have caused the loss of life, and USDA is ready to assist in any way we can.

We have to get out of the mindset that, 'If I invest $1 in crop insurance, I want to make sure I get a $1.10 or plus out of that.'

I want to say something in a tough-love kind of way about crop insurance. Let's face it: You don't buy insurance on your house hoping it will burn down. Neither do we want to buy crop insurance and hope our crop fails so we can file.

It's not in the heart of America to see others go hungry.