Xochitl Torres Small is a former member of the United States House of Representatives with the Democratic Party. A moderate, she was elected to the House from the 2nd District of New Mexico. Which includes Las Cruces and Roswell.
Torres Small's time in Congress would end up being brief. But she would gain a reputation for her expertise in agricultural matters. In 2021, it was announced that U.S. President Joe Biden was nominating her for a role in his administration. More recently, Torres Small has been approved by the United States Senate for a promotion.
Confirmed by a significant margin
Xochitl Torres Small is to be the next United States deputy secretary of agriculture. She was nominated for the post by President Biden earlier this year. Torres Small was selected to succeed outgoing Deputy Secretary Jewel H. Bronaugh. The role of deputy secretary has been equated as being the chief operating officer of the department.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack released a statement following the confirmation vote. He said that he applauded the result. Vilsack praised Torres Small's "collaborative approach" and her "can-do spirit" as well.
Torres Small has already been serving in the United States Department of Agriculture as under secretary for rural development.
She would essentially sail through the Senate process for that role. Things did get somewhat more tricky for her new position. According to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, one committee member slowed things down. Stabenow did not give the identity of the senator in question. But evidently it was meant as some sort of protest over certain Agriculture Department policies.
In the end, Torres Small received 84 votes of approval on a bipartisan basis.
She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. Republican incumbent Steve Pearce was not a candidate in the race. He instead had chosen to run for governor of New Mexico, ultimately unsuccessfully.
Torres Small was a member of the House Committees on Agriculture, the Armed Services and on Homeland Security.
She served as the chairwoman of what was then the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Management and Accountability.
In 2020, Torres Small failed in her re-election bid. Coming up short against former Republican State Representative Yvette Herrell.
Is a granddaughter of Mexican immigrants
Xochitl Torres Small is a native of Portland, Oregon. Her family eventually settled in New Mexico, where she graduated from Mayfield High School in Las Cruces. She also participated in an international education program at the Waterford Kamhlaba school in Eswatini. Later, Torres Small obtained degrees from Georgetown University and the University of New Mexico School of Law.
She worked as a longtime staffer for U.S.
Senator Tom Udall. Udall is now also a member of the Biden administration. He is currently the U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and to Samoa. In addition, Torres Small was a law clerk at the federal level.
Her husband is Nathan Small. Small is a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives.
