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93–033 PDF 2015

S. HRG. 113–562 

THE NOMINATION OF 

LISA AFUA SERWAH MENSAH, 

OF MARYLAND, 

TO BE UNDER SECRETARY OF 

AGRICULTURE FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, 

NUTRITION AND FORESTRY 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 

Printed for the use of the 

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry 

( 

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.fdsys.gov/ 

COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION AND FORESTRY 

DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan, Chairwoman 

PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont 

TOM HARKIN, Iowa 

SHERROD BROWN, OHIO 

AMY KLOBUCHAR, MINNESOTA 

MICHAEL BENNET, COLORADO 

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, NEW YORK 

JOE DONNELLY, INDIANA 

HEIDI HEITKAMP, NORTH DAKOTA 

ROBERT P. CASEY, Jr., PENNSYLVANIA 

JOHN WALSH, MONTANA 

THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi 

MITCH MCCONNELL, Kentucky 

PAT ROBERTS, Kansas 

SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Georgia 

JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas 

JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota 

MIKE JOHANNS, Nebraska 

CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, Iowa 

JOHN THUNE, South Dakota 

CHRISTOPHER J. ADAMO, Majority Staff Director 

JONATHAN J. CORDONE, Majority Chief Counsel 

JESSICA L. WILLIAMS, Chief Clerk 

THOMAS ALLEN HAWKS, Minority Staff Director 

ANNE C. HAZLETT, Minority Chief Counsel and Senior Advisor 

(II) 

(III) 

C O N T E N T S 

Page 

HEARING(S): 

Nomination of Lisa Afua Serwah Mensah, of Maryland, to be Under Secretary 

of Agriculture for Rural Development ................................................................ 1 

Wednesday, September 10, 2014 

STATEMENTS PRESENTED BY SENATORS 

Stabenow, Hon. Debbie, U.S. Senator from the State of Michigan, Chairwoman, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry ............................ 1 

Cochran, Hon. Thad, U.S. Senator from the State of Mississippi ....................... 2 

Panel I 

Mensah, Lisa Afua Serwah, of Maryland, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture 

for Rural Development ......................................................................................... 3 

APPENDIX 

PREPARED STATEMENTS: 

Thune, Hon. John ............................................................................................. 18 

Mensah, Lisa Afua Serwah .............................................................................. 20 

DOCUMENT(S) SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD: 

Public 5 day letter, Committee Questionnaire and Office of Government 

Ethics Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report 

filed by Lisa Afua Serwah Mensah ............................................................. 24-40 

QUESTION AND ANSWER: 

Mensah, Lisa Afua Serwah: 

Written response to questions from Hon. Debbie Stabenow ......................... 42 

Written response to questions from Hon. Thad Cochran .............................. 43 

Written response to questions from Hon. Heidi Heitkamp ........................... 44 

Written response to questions from Hon. John Thune .................................. 46 

(1) 

NOMINATION OF 

LISA AFUA SERWAH MENSAH, 

OF MARYLAND, 

TO BE UNDERSECRETARY OF 

AGRICULTURE FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT 

Wednesday, September 10, 2014 

UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION AND FORESTRY, Washington, DC 

The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:05 a.m., in room 

328A, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Debbie Stabenow, 

Chairwoman of the committee, presiding. 

Present or submitting a statement: Senators Stabenow, Leahy, 

Donnelly, Walsh, Cochran, Boozman, and Hoeven. 

STATEMENT OF HON. DEBBIE STABENOW, U.S. SENATOR 

FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, CHAIRWOMAN, COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION AND FORESTRY 

Chairwoman STABENOW. Well, good morning. The Senate 

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry will come to 

order. Senator Cochran is on his way and will be joining us shortly, 

and so, welcome. 

We are here today to consider the nomination of Lisa Mensah to 

be the next Under Secretary of Rural Development at the Department of Agriculture, a really important role that we all care very 

much about, so we thank you for being here. I am glad to see you 

have family and friends with you, as well. When we turn to you, 

you certainly are welcome to introduce them. We are glad to have 

them here supporting you, as well. 

Preserving our rural way of life is near and dear to my heart, 

as I know my colleagues of the committee care very much about 

this particular part of USDA. Having grown up in Northern Michigan in the small community of Clare, I know it is important that 

we provide small towns across the country the tools they need to 

grow and prosper. 

The unique challenges that rural America faces when it comes to 

creating economic opportunity are real. According to a report 

issued by USDA’s Economic Research Service, between 2011 and 

2013, net job growth in rural areas was near zero, while employment rates in metropolitan areas grew at an annual rate of 1.4 percent. 

One of the most significant challenges facing rural America is 

aging infrastructure. Without a safe drinking water supply, adeVerDate Nov 24 2008 17:35 Feb 23, 2015 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 C:\USERS\MW42035\DESKTOP\DOCS\93033.TXT MICAH
2 

quate housing, or affordable broadband Internet service, it is difficult for small businesses to recruit new employees and compete 

in the global economy. You have been nominated to ensure that the 

resources that this committee provided for infrastructure improvements in the 2014 farm bill will be invested effectively to help 

these communities take advantage of new opportunities for growth 

and development. 

I believe that the new energy economy is an exciting opportunity 

for rural America to develop new markets and create jobs. One 

area that this committee highlighted in June is that of bio-based 

manufacturing. In addition to a hearing that focused on the new 

support for bio-based manufacturing included in the farm bill, we 

hosted an event that featured innovative products developed by 

more than 30 companies around the country with homegrown materials. Implementing some of the new farm bill initiatives in support of this growing industry will be part of your responsibilities, 

if you are confirmed. 

The new energy economy is so exciting, in part, because it offers 

long-term economic development opportunities for rural America. 

The new farm bill provides incentives for leaders in these small 

towns to think strategically about long-term economic development 

for their communities. If these leaders collaborate on regional economic development strategies based on the unique characteristics 

and strengths of their communities, we will see the creation of job 

opportunities that will more likely stay at home in those communities. Helping local leaders pursue initiatives that lead to longterm community and economic development is an important responsibility for USDA as it implements Rural Development programs. 

I appreciate very much having the opportunity to speak with 

you, Ms. Mensah, and learn more about your background. I look 

forward to your testimony and your answers to questions of the 

committee members today. If confirmed, I fully expect you to work 

with this committee and Congress in helping to implement policies 

that will help rural America grow and prosper. 

It is now my pleasure to turn to my friend and distinguished 

Ranking Member, Senator Cochran. 

STATEMENT OF HON. THAD COCHRAN, U.S. SENATOR FROM 

THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI 

Senator COCHRAN. Thank you, Madam Chairman. Thank you for 

your convening of this timely hearing for the nominee for Under 

Secretary of Rural Development at the Department of Agriculture. 

We welcome the nominee to the hearing and thank her for her 

cooperation with the committee and giving us information and requests for any statements that she might make about her views 

about the responsibilities of the office for which she has been nominated. We look forward to the questions and answers at this hearing and expecting that they will be helpful to our understanding 

of her qualifications for service in this important position. 

Chairwoman STABENOW. Thank you very much, Senator Cochran. 

I now have the pleasure of introducing our nominee, Ms. Lisa 

Mensah, who has served as Executive Director of the Initiative on 

3 

Financial Security at the Aspen Institute since 2002. Prior to joining the Aspen Institute, Ms. Mensah held a variety of positions at 

the Ford Foundation, including Deputy Director of the Economic 

Development Unit and Deputy Director of the Rural Poverty and 

Resources Program. She has also worked at Citibank for a time 

after receiving her Bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and 

a Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. 

We are very pleased to have you with us today. We welcome your 

testimony. As you know, we ask for five minutes of verbal testimony. We welcome any written additional information you would 

like to leave with the committee, but we look forward to your testimony, so please proceed. 

TESTIMONY OF LISA AFUA SERWAH MENSAH, OF MARYLAND, 

NOMINATED TO BE UNDER SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE 

FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman and Ranking 

Member Cochran. Thank you for this opportunity to appear before 

you today as President Obama’s nominee for Under Secretary of 

Rural Development. If confirmed, I look forward to helping the 

President and Secretary Vilsack build on the accomplishments of 

this administration by working to strengthen rural areas and create sustainable growth for future generations. 

I am joined today by my husband, Barry Ford, and my two children, Rebecca and Andrew. 

Chairwoman STABENOW. We welcome them to stand up so that 

we could—— 

Ms. MENSAH. This is my husband, and also my father and brother. 

[Applause.] 

Ms. MENSAH. My father, Kwaku Mensah, and brother, David. 

Chairwoman STABENOW. Your father, your brother, your husband—— 

Ms. MENSAH. My two children. 

Chairwoman STABENOW. —your son, your daughter. You have 

the full—— 

Ms. MENSAH. I brought everybody. 

[Laughter.] 

Chairwoman STABENOW. —family with you. That is wonderful. 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you. I also have several lifelong friends and 

colleagues, and they truly bear witness to the significance of this 

moment in my life. My journey to this room is proof that the American dream of opportunity is alive and well. 

I am the daughter of an immigrant from Ghana and of a farm 

girl from Iowa and Oregon who raised their three children with a 

simple guiding principle, that our earthly work was to leave the 

world a better place. They also believed in very hard work, and for 

the Mensah children, this meant summers picking strawberries to 

earn money. From the day school let out, we were up at 5:00 a.m. 

to meet the bus to take us to the fields. Being a strawberry picker 

means freezing mornings, hot afternoons, dirty clothes, and berrystained hands. My parents assured us that picking would not kill 

us and that we would understand the value of a dollar, and in this, 

they were right. 

4 

It took years for me to enjoy eating strawberries again—— 

[Laughter.] 

Ms. MENSAH. —but this early experience ingrained in me a sense 

that hard work is rewarded, that goals can be reached, and that 

if I could handle Oregon strawberry fields, I could handle just 

about anything. 

I would like to give you a little more insight into my background 

and how it does prepare me to serve as Under Secretary for Rural 

Development. I went on from the strawberry fields to earn degrees 

at Harvard and Johns Hopkins, and then a professional life at 

Citibank, at the Ford Foundation, at the Aspen Institute. In all of 

this, I have focused on how credit, investments, savings, and ownership can transform opportunity, especially for America’s rural 

poor. 

At Citibank, I learned the craft of credit, how to analyze the 

strength of a commercial venture. I took these skills to the Ford 

Foundation, where I was responsible for the country’s largest philanthropic grant and loan portfolio of investments in rural America. 

I have pored over the financial statements of lenders trying to 

make a difference. I have sat at the workplaces of small businesses 

struggling to find new markets and create jobs. I have seen the 

struggle to bring development to areas that traditional markets neglect. I saw then what remains true today, that there is a vital role 

for capital, for partnerships, and for infrastructure investments 

that do not replace private capital, but can spark private capital 

markets. 

I truly share Secretary Vilsack’s priority of building new partnerships to leverage the strengths of rural areas, to build new markets, to increase regional competitiveness, and to create more prosperous and sustainable communities. 

Today, we know that rural areas suffer from stalled job growth, 

from declining populations, and the highest poverty rates we have 

seen in 30 years. These challenges make growth and prosperity 

more difficult, but they also require that we do just that. 

As I see when I visit my father’s country of Ghana, when countries cannot make rural infrastructure work, they not only impede 

the growth of rural people and places, they hold back the whole nation. I am convinced that the potential exists for rural America’s 

economy to continue to grow and compete globally and I am so 

eager to lead a mission area whose job it is to help rural communities find a path to prosperity. 

Taken together, the three Rural Development agencies—that is 

Rural Development Business and Cooperative Services, the Rural 

Housing Service, and the Rural Utilities Service—they have a loan 

portfolio of over $200 billion in direct loans and guarantees. It is 

a powerful portfolio that must be managed well, both to ensure repayment and to ensure that we look for wise and efficient investments. 

If confirmed, I look forward to returning to this committee to discuss how the USDA is using the program authority you provide to 

do even more. If confirmed, I will be honored to work alongside the 

nearly 5,000 employees who serve in this mission area. 

As I conclude, I am reminded of my first trip to Washington, DC. 

In 1979, I came here as one of two student leaders from Oregon 

5 

sponsored by the William Randolph Hearst Program. I met with 

Senators then Hatfield and Packwood, and I was deeply moved by 

their belief that I should prepare myself to take the torch of leadership. Most of the time, that has been a private torch, but I am so 

honored to be sitting here today, prepared to assume the responsibility of public service. 

I am humbled to be before your committee. You have such a history of bipartisanship. Throughout my history, I have made a practice of listening to all and searching for solutions. At Aspen, I have 

built one of the country’s most bipartisan tables, and if confirmed, 

I will keep my door open, I will stay responsive to you who hold 

the privilege of representing the citizens of your States. 

I hope I have provided you with some insight on how I might 

contribute to building a prosperous rural America. I look forward 

to your questions. Thank you. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Mensah can be found on page 20 

in the appendix.] 

Chairwoman STABENOW. Well, thank you very much. 

Before proceeding with questions, we have one other official 

thing we need to do. We need to ask you to rise and ask you a 

question. Do you agree to appear before any duly constituted committee of the United States Congress, if asked? 

Ms. MENSAH. Yes. 

Chairwoman STABENOW. Yes. Thank you very much. 

Well, given your impressive background, Ms. Mensah, in dealing 

with economic development and rural poverty and so on, what do 

you see as the greatest economic challenges facing rural communities, and as Under Secretary, what would you do to address the 

challenges that you see are there? 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you, Senator. For me, the challenge of rural 

America is to ignite the power of rural America, and what I am so 

excited about are the three sets of tools that this mission area has. 

Yes, we have challenges, but to be able to invest in housing and 

in job-growing businesses and also in critical infrastructure, to me, 

speaks directly to the challenges of growth and prosperity for all 

areas. That is what I am very excited about in this portfolio. 

Chairwoman STABENOW. When you look broadly at job creation— 

I mentioned the energy title, which crosses a number of different 

areas in USDA, but certainly in terms of jobs, we put a lot of emphasis in the farm bill on creating opportunities for loans and loan 

guarantees and opportunities to really expand upon the bio economy through the energy title and so on. I am wondering, from your 

perspective, how would you, as someone who is coming from a 

grant-making organization, address getting the dollars out for 

these kinds of projects, investing them both quickly—we obviously 

want to stimulate the economy as quickly as possible, but, of 

course, we want to be careful stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars, as 

well—I wonder if you have looked at some of the opportunities not 

only in biofuels, but in bio-based manufacturing, the ability to use 

agricultural materials and products to be able to create new opportunities and jobs. 

Ms. MENSAH. Senator, thank you for your interest in that area 

and for the authority that has already been established in this 

farm bill. I am very excited about the opportunities in the bio econVerDate Nov 24 2008 17:35 Feb 23, 2015 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 C:\USERS\MW42035\DESKTOP\DOCS\93033.TXT MICAH
6 

omy, and it feels to me like a new chapter in Rural Development. 

When I was at the Ford Foundation, I did not just do grants. I did 

loans. Some of those were in your State, in the Upper Peninsula 

of Michigan. I remember what was so critical to getting loans out 

was very smart partners. We had institutions like Northern Initiatives that were creative loan funds who could go into small towns, 

find partners. That is what I think speed takes. It takes people 

who are already on the ground, prepared to use the funds that are 

precious and wise stewards of those funds. I very much look forward to this new chapter in rural America. 

Chairwoman STABENOW. Well, thank you. I agree with you. 

Northern Initiatives is wonderful in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and it really is about partners, I think. When you look at 

leveraging resources, again, from your perspective, coming from the 

private and nonprofit sector, and considering your background with 

Ford and so on, I think you really bring a fresh perspective to this. 

What new opportunities do you see for the USDA to help communities maximize the impact of resources and leverage those kinds 

of partnerships? 

Ms. MENSAH. Well, I am very excited to be joining the Department at this moment. Partnerships has been a word that I know 

has been a big priority of Secretary Vilsack. What I really feel is 

that we are poised to take off. This farm bill was passed. There is 

time now to really create serious partnerships, and I feel like I am 

walking into a set of skilled and talented staff who really understand those portfolios and I will be able to help them find the other 

partners on the private side who can help take this work even further. 

Chairwoman STABENOW. What do you think we could do to leverage more private foundation dollars? I mean, obviously, we are 

looking at that throughout our efforts in agriculture. We have a 

new public-private research foundation where we are putting in 

public dollars, but also activating the foundation with private dollars, as well. In other areas, I mean, how do you see us, again, 

from your perspective, playing an intermediary role between private foundations and rural communities? What do you think you 

could do? 

Ms. MENSAH. Well, I appreciate the question very much. I think 

they need to know we are here. I think—I also think there are a 

lot of foundations that focus on core larger challenges—youth, the 

challenges of education, the challenges of growth. They might not 

always have a rural lens, but they will need to know we are here. 

I am excited about calling folks up, bringing them in. I do not plan 

to stop talking to my friends in that sector. I think they are going 

to be very excited. The key for a foundation is leverage. A foundation will never be as big as the U.S. Government. Their success is 

dependent, also, on a partnership with this work. 

Chairwoman STABENOW. I appreciate that very much. I think it 

is really true. When we look at—there is very important work 

being done in urban areas. At the same time, though, when we look 

at poverty and the needs of people, there is not always a focus or 

understanding of rural communities. I think bringing that voice 

and focus could help our communities all across the country. Thank 

you very much. 

7 

Senator Cochran. 

Senator COCHRAN. Madam Chair, thank you. 

Madam Secretary—I am moved to call you Madam Secretary—— 

[Laughter.] 

Senator COCHRAN. Let me, again, congratulate you on your nomination and wonder whether or not you can identify now, after reviewing the jurisdictional responsibilities of the office you have 

been nominated to fill, what are the highest priorities of this administration in terms of stimulating development and stimulating 

the availability of education, health care, services that really would 

do a lot to help improve the prospects for individual residents, citizens, businesses in rural America to prosper and succeed. 

Ms. MENSAH. Yeah. Thank you, Senator Cochran, for your—for 

raising that issue. I think, I have learned so much in your State 

with key partners, like HOPE Enterprise, and I think you have 

raised the key issues of education and health and true community 

facilities. 

What is exciting to me about the priorities of this administration 

is the ability to work across lines. Yes, jobs are important. So are 

the infrastructure pieces of those jobs, and so are the housing 

pieces of those jobs. What I am excited about is a strategy that is 

not just one silver bullet, but several things together, and that, to 

me, is a very exciting piece and I look forward to working on this. 

Senator COCHRAN. Thank you, Madam Chair. 

Chairwoman STABENOW. Thank you very much. 

I now turn to our distinguished-most Senator Leahy. I was thinking this morning, as I am sitting here between two former Chairmen who have these wonderful portraits on the wall, so we not 

only get to see them in person, we get to see them on the wall, and 

I am surrounded by former Chairmen. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator LEAHY. I could not help but notice—— 

Chairwoman STABENOW. Senator Leahy. 

Senator LEAHY. —Madam Chair, that all but one of them have 

a head of hair. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator LEAHY. But—— 

Chairwoman STABENOW. Senator Leahy. 

Senator LEAHY. But, there are Senator Harkin, Senator Chambliss, and, of course, Senator Cochran and I still serve here, and 

I think the reason we do is because this committee means a lot to 

us and as much as it does. I compliment you and everybody else, 

again, on the farm bill, Madam Chair. 

Back here a couple of weeks ago, Secretary Vilsack was in 

Vermont, and Ms. Mensah, I told him of our meeting that we had 

just before the recess and how much that meant to me, and coming 

from probably the most rural State, or certainly one of the most 

rural States in the country. Our largest city is 38,000 people. What 

you and I discussed about REAP Zones and those things, very, very 

important to us—— 

Ms. MENSAH. Yeah. 

Senator LEAHY. Last week, in a speech about the state of 

broadband competition, the SEC Chairman, Tom Wheeler, noted 

that Americans living in urban areas are more than three times 

8 

more likely to have access to next-generation broadband networks 

than those living in rural areas. I included in the farm bill a program to deploy ultra-high-speed networks in rural areas. 

I remember my grandparents telling me about how excited they 

were when telephones came to rural America. Something like that, 

we take for granted. We have to ensure that we have this 

broadband high-speed Internet, because otherwise, you are not 

going to bring the jobs into rural America that we want to, to say 

nothing about just the consumer interest in having this. 

My question is this. How will the Rural Gigabit Pilot Program 

advance USDA’s efforts to close the broadband divide between 

urban and rural America? 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you, Senator Leahy, and for your commitment, your work on these issues. I am very excited about the authorities in this portfolio around rural broadband. Rural broadband 

is crucial to the kind of jobs, the growth, the ability for people to 

live and work in rural areas. It is the future. I am excited about 

being able to work on this, and if confirmed, I look forward to coming back and talking with you about how we can work even faster. 

Senator LEAHY. Will you work for funding for that in the Department’s budget? 

Ms. MENSAH. Absolutely. 

Senator LEAHY. Thank you. A lot of agencies have faced extremely difficult budget restraints, and there have been a lot of 

cuts on many important programs. I worry that in USDA, the cuts 

have disproportionately impacted Rural Development—a billion 

dollars in proposed cuts of loans and grants for business development, for example, water and waste disposal, rural housing, since 

2010. They have been cut about 35 percent. I hope that you will 

work for funds for Rural Development. I am a member of the Appropriations Committee. I am eager to work with you. But, I think 

of the lack of funding. We cannot rehab affordable housing. We 

cannot make home ownership a reality in rural America with all 

that means. 

I should probably ask you this. What do you envision as a housing strategy for rural America? 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you, Senator Leahy, and I am very excited 

that this portfolio has a strong emphasis on housing. I believe that 

the housing needs need—what I know is that housing is critical at 

all levels, for single family, for multi-family, all different income 

levels. I worked at Aspen on the centrality of home. It is also people’s most important asset. We will not be able to close a wealth 

gap if we cannot invest in housing. You will have in me someone 

who will always champion the interest of this, and in keeping the 

distinction. Rural has challenges and special needs, and I am so 

happy that this position has a focus on rural housing. 

Senator LEAHY. Well, thank you. I think that not only is it your 

most important asset for most people, but it also sets a sense of 

community if people have their own homes. 

I have other questions which I will submit for the record and I 

would appreciate your answering. But, I also appreciate very much 

the meeting we had prior, and I suspect we are going to have some 

more. Thank you. 

Ms. MENSAH. I look forward to that. Thank you. 

9 

Chairwoman STABENOW. Thank you very much. 

Senator Boozman, welcome. Good morning. 

Senator BOOZMAN. Thank you, Madam Chair, as always. 

Congratulations. This is certainly a great honor to be nominated. 

You have had a distinguished career, and it is a good sign when 

Senator Cochran calls you Madam Secretary. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator BOOZMAN. I would like to ask you about an issue that 

we have had that affects Arkansas. In early August, we learned 

that in Arkansas, USDA—the State director determined that several rural communities in the State would no longer be eligible for 

USDA rural housing programs because their communities were not 

rural in character. This was very concerning to our Arkansas community, since they were notified less than two months before the 

reclassification was scheduled to take effect. 

While I was pleased to hear from USDA that they will hold off 

on implementing any changes for eligibility based on rural in character criteria until September 30, 2015, I would like to ensure that 

there is ample time for public comment, also commitment to seeing 

if we can get this worked out, and consideration before final designations are issued. Can you address that and comment regarding 

that, and perhaps get a commitment from you that you will look 

into that and see if you can be of help. 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you, Senator Boozman, for your question 

and for your obvious concern for the issues of housing. I have also 

traveled in your State with Enterprise HOPE and I have seen the 

different needs throughout the State. You will have in me, if confirmed, someone who is very committed to these issues of housing. 

Absolutely, I look forward to learning more about the specifics of 

the issue that you raise and to working with you for any of those 

concerns. 

Senator BOOZMAN. When I am back in Arkansas, the number one 

thing on the minds of Arkansans is jobs, jobs, jobs. If you do not 

have a job, if you cannot support your family, all of these other 

things are really pretty insignificant. Often, our rural communities 

fall victim to higher levels of unemployment due to a lack of resources and community development. As Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development, what steps would you take to ensure that our rural communities are receiving the necessary resources to grow their local economies and reduce unemployment? 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you. This is an area of my deep professional 

love and passion, which is how do all communities prosper? How 

do people prosper? How do we bring jobs to places that markets do 

not go? I am excited about this portfolio. I am excited about the 

tools of rural business development. I look forward to making sure 

that every community has an ability to compete for these funds 

and to working with you, if confirmed. 

Senator BOOZMAN. I think in rural America, there is real concern 

about the perception and the actuality of overreaching regulation 

and just overreach in general. Could you speak to that, and then 

also share your issues that, if confirmed, I would really like to 

know what your number one priority would be as far as what do 

you want to get done? Where do you want to, however many years 

10 

from now, step back and say, this is what my priority was and this 

is what we accomplished? 

Ms. MENSAH. Both are deep questions. On regulation, I will commit to you that we will run a loan portfolio that is dedicated to 

being both efficient and making wise investments. On priorities, I 

said one thing, which it would be my job, first, to listen very, very 

hard to the people who wake up every morning and do their job 

at the Rural Development mission. I am obviously coming from the 

outside. I want to hear first. But, I think the critical moment, having already passed a farm bill, I think the critical priority for us 

is on implementing some of the powerful authorities that exist. 

What I want to see is some flourishing of the jobs and infrastructure and housing opportunities. 

Senator BOOZMAN. Very good. Well, we hope to have you back in 

Arkansas. 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you, Senator. 

Senator BOOZMAN. Thank you, Madam Chair. 

Chairwoman STABENOW. Absolutely. Thank you very much. 

Senator Donnelly from the great State of Indiana. 

Senator DONNELLY. Thank you, Madam Chair, and congratulations. We are very honored to have you here. 

I wanted to ask you about just a specific Indiana question first, 

and that is that we have a town in one of our counties, Morgan 

County—the town is Waverly—and they are looking to take advantage of the REDLG Program, the Rural Economic Development 

Loan and Grant Program. While their community is currently eligible to take advantage of many Rural Development programs, 

USDA has not yet completed the rulemaking to allow Waverly to 

be part of this program. I was hoping that you could commit to finish the rulemaking in a timely manner for our town. 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you, Senator. What I can say is that the 

business loan programs, I will be—that is an area of deep passion 

and experience for me—— 

Senator DONNELLY. Okay. 

Ms. MENSAH. —and I have sat with those programs, know the 

regs, and I look forward—I will commit to you to coming back to 

you and working with you to resolve these issues. 

Senator DONNELLY. We will look forward to having that conversation. 

One of the things we have done in our State is we have a—my 

predecessor, whose picture is also on the wall, Senator Lugar—— 

[Laughter.] 

Senator DONNELLY. There is a program at Indiana State University in Terra Haute named the Lugar Rural Health Initiative and 

we have a number of counties in our State now that do not have 

OB/GYN services. I think it has become an increasing challenge for 

a lot of our rural communities in the health area, and we are trying to develop more of a pipeline for primary doctors through that 

program and others. I was wondering what initiatives you are looking at to make sure that the kind of health services we hope for 

in all parts of our country can be extended to the rural areas. 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you, Senator, and for raising a very critical 

issue of rural health and of primary physicians. What I know is 

that this is a portfolio that actually has an ability to invest both 

11 

in the facilities and in the job creating pieces, and I think both are 

related to rural health. What I look forward to is—continuing to 

hear these priorities, I am deeply aware of them. I know you cannot have an OB/GYN by telemedicine. I appreciate your lifting this 

concern and I look forward to working with you on this. 

Senator DONNELLY. A lot of the young potential doctors come 

from some of these rural communities. They would like to go home 

if they can, and we have to make sure we have the opportunity for 

them to do that. That brings me to my next point, which is that 

for a lot of our rural communities, our young people—and this has 

happened for a long time—our young people, when they graduate 

and they go through college and they look, they want to come 

home, but there is no opportunity for them to come home to, and 

that goes directly into your title of Rural Development. 

Ms. MENSAH. Yeah. 

Senator DONNELLY. Having the broadband there and having job 

opportunities there, having the knowledge that if I raise my family 

here, we will have good health care here. One of my passions is 

that we want everybody to have the freedom of choice to go wherever they want to go. That is the American dream. But, at the 

same time, if you want to go home to your rural community, that 

you have the chance to do that, that there is opportunity there as 

opposed to saying, well, I went to the city simply because there was 

nothing I could do back home. 

Ms. MENSAH. Right. 

Senator DONNELLY. I think that is really a cornerstone of your 

mission, is how do we make it so that our children can go home 

if they want to, that the choice is not just to go to the city, but to 

be able to run that business right there or go to a good job right 

in that community, and I was wondering how you see that as part 

of your mission. 

Ms. MENSAH. Senator, that was beautifully stated. I share your 

passion. As a mother of two teenagers, I think every day about the 

future. 

Senator DONNELLY. Good luck with that, too, by the way. 

[Laughter.] 

Ms. MENSAH. I appreciate it. I appreciate it. 

Senator DONNELLY. I have been there, done that. 

[Laughter.] 

Ms. MENSAH. You know, if we cannot get this right, this is what 

I meant when I spoke passionately about not giving up on rural 

areas, and I do believe the tools of broadband and the tools of new 

growth and seeing that there is something new. The bio-economy 

kinds of investments, to me, are a really new page in Rural Development and that is exciting to be part of. I share the same dream 

and I look forward to working on these, if confirmed. 

Senator DONNELLY. Well, thank you. We look forward to working 

with you. 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you. 

Chairwoman STABENOW. Great. Thanks very much. 

Senator Walsh from the great State of Montana. 

Senator WALSH. Thank you, Madam Chair. 

Ms. Mensah, congratulations on your nomination and thank you 

for being here. 

12 

You know, Montana is one of the most rural States in the country. Just a quarter of our population lives in urban areas and 30 

percent live in small cities, along with another 44 percent live in 

rural areas. Living in a rural area in Montana puts you much further from urban centers than would be the case in States outside 

of the West. Our large, open spaces are renowned around the 

world. Big Sky Country is breathtaking. I know we talked and you 

said you have been to Eastern Montana and Billings, so I know you 

have some understanding of that. 

Montana’s rural nature is part of our culture and we cherish it 

and we want to keep it that way, but it also presents unique challenges, including economic development, infrastructure, and transportation. USDA’s Rural Development mission area has a variety 

of tools designed to spur economic development in places like Montana, rural States. I have heard time and time again how well 

these programs are working. 

For example, a variety of Rural Development programs have invested in Eastern Montana, where many small towns are booming 

due to oil exploration in the Bakken field. In 2013, over 1,500 Montana families purchased homes with Rural Development loans. 

Critical water, sewer, and electric infrastructure projects were 

funded as well, helping small towns grow and attract new residents. 

But housing infrastructure is only part of the puzzle. For these 

small towns to grow, we need to create economic opportunity. We 

need more jobs on the ground, and the business programs at Rural 

Development will help fill that need. 

Just this month, USDA announced a $1.3 million long-term loan 

along with local funds that will be used to transform a run-down 

park in my hometown of Butte, Montana, into a neighborhood center. This center will provide important local services, such as job 

training and housing assistance. Last month, Montana’s State Director Tony Preite, announced three new grants under the Rural 

Business Enterprise Grants program to provide funding for businesses in the Bitterroot Valley. 

I could list many more instances where Rural Development programs have helped support jobs in Montana, but the point is that 

these programs are critical to support jobs and economic development in rural areas. 

Directly related to the state of the economy is the issue of poverty. Over 15 percent of Montanans live in poverty, and that number is even higher for children. We must do more to tackle this 

issue across the country and I look forward to hearing from you 

how we can better address poverty in rural areas. 

I just have a couple of questions I would like to ask. First, you 

have many years of experience working on both rural issues and 

poverty at the Ford Foundation and the Aspen Institute. How will 

that experience translate at the USDA? 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you, Senator, both for your comments of 

hope about this division. I think my experience on poverty and on 

investing speaks to the two issues you raised, that we must have 

growth to lift all the boats, but even when we get growth, as we 

have seen in your State, our work is not done. The three tools— 

the business portfolio, the housing portfolio, and the infrastructure 

13 

portfolio—to me, these are the key portfolios and key tools of partnership. If confirmed, I very much look forward to continuing this 

work. 

Senator WALSH. Okay. Second, I referenced the booming economy 

in Eastern Montana. While the economic activity is welcome, it also 

brings a major strain on municipal governments. USDA-RD programs are an opportunity to fill that gap. As Under Secretary, 

what would be your view of Rural Development’s mission and how 

will you utilize these programs to meet the needs of communities 

such as those in Eastern Montana? 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you, Senator. Also, just to—for me, the 

power of a growing economy is seeing how you keep all things moving, and this portfolio’s tools to be able to help areas like yours 

with critical needs, even in growth, so that it can really have its 

impact, is a powerful part of this portfolio. I look forward very 

much to working with you and in your State, if confirmed. 

Senator WALSH. Okay. One final question. You know, again, 

rural areas in Montana lag behind in broadband development. 

USDA already has programs to support broadband. What is your 

vision for these programs, and will you target them to areas that 

are truly underserved, such as Reservations in Montana and the 

Eastern part of the State? 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you, Senator, and thank you for raising the 

needs of Native American Reservations, too. We have spoken about 

how important I view broadband and this new area. I think this 

is a critical part of jobs, growth, and the future. I look forward to 

help this mission reach all areas with these services. 

Senator WALSH. Okay. Thank you. 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you. 

Senator WALSH. Thank you, Madam Chair. 

Chairwoman STABENOW. Thank you very much. 

Senator Hoeven, great State of North Dakota. 

Senator HOEVEN. Thank you, Madam Chairman and Ranking 

Member, and thanks for holding this hearing today. 

Ms. Mensah, I want to start by thanking you for coming by and 

visiting with me prior to this hearing today. I appreciate it and certainly look forward to working with you. 

In our State, we have tremendous growth going on right now. I 

think we are the fastest growing State in the country, and we have 

a lot of growth in energy, certainly oil and gas in the Western part 

of the State, renewables, wind, biofuels, that kind of thing in the 

Central and Eastern part, but then, also, in some of the other areas 

too, Ag processing and some of the life sciences, technology in the 

Red River Valley, aerospace. Our challenge is our growth, and one 

of the biggest challenges that comes with that is housing. 

We need housing, and we particularly need housing in the energy 

patch in the West. In the rural areas, that is a huge challenge. I 

mean, it is a challenge all over the State, and it is a challenge both 

because of the down payment—young people come and they can 

make a great wage now. Driving a track, I think they are over 

$100,000. But, they do not have a down payment to qualify for a 

loan. Then he other thing is, the housing is so expensive, particularly in the rural areas and the smaller communities. 

You have got a financial background. 

14 

Ms. MENSAH. Yeah. 

Senator HOEVEN. You have got some great financing programs. 

Tell me how you are going to come to North Dakota and really help 

us get these young people into homes. We are building a lot of 

apartments, but the apartment rent is pretty high, and what we 

really need is single family homes. How can you help us? 

Ms. MENSAH. Yeah. Thank you, Senator, and thank you for reminding us that even in growth, we have got challenges. 

Senator HOEVEN. Right on. 

Ms. MENSAH. My experience, particularly at Aspen, was working 

with financial sector leaders—some are in this room right now—to 

really work on the American challenge of savings. I think that in 

these years of growth, the key, again, is partnerships with our financial institutions so that people can start to save to be prepared 

for these down payments, knowing that when they do their part, 

the other end of the—the other hand is there. This portfolio has a 

wonderful ability to invest in housing. I am excited about that. I 

am excited in the single family and multi-family opportunities. If 

confirmed, I look very much forward to working with you. 

Senator HOEVEN. Would you be willing to come out to North Dakota and help convene lenders, both in terms of trying to find that 

down stroke help, people find that down stroke, but then also utilizing your loan guarantee programs, which are very good, with our 

lenders to see if we cannot get more of this housing need met? 

Ms. MENSAH. Senator, if confirmed, I am going to be talking a 

lot to lenders, and I think they need the USDA to say, we are here 

to be partners. I very much look forward to working with private 

sector leaders to identify and champion the causes of rural America. 

Senator HOEVEN. You would be happy to come to our State and 

work—— 

Ms. MENSAH. I would be very happy to come to your State. 

Senator HOEVEN. Good, because, I think, sometimes sitting down 

with them and making sure that they can access these programs 

easily, efficiently, and well makes a big difference in terms of getting them used, and I think your background really lends to that 

kind of collaborative effort. 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you. I believe in collaboration. 

Senator HOEVEN. Also, and the infrastructure piece, too. You 

know, all of the infrastructure needs that go with it, everything, as 

Senator Walsh said, from fiber and communications working 

through RUS to all the roads, bridges, schools, everything in that 

respect, as well. But, again, we are going to need your leadership 

and this partnering effort. Maybe touch just for a minute on some 

of the infrastructure programs and your approach there. 

Ms. MENSAH. My—thank you, Senator, and you really raise the 

thing I am excited about this portfolio, which is the ability to invest 

both in infrastructure and housing and in the job creating. For me, 

the infrastructure is such a key component, and I am actually very 

excited to be part of a portfolio which understands all the needs 

and has tools, that we do not just have to come with one tool. 

Thank you for raising that, and if confirmed, I look forward to 

working on that. 

15 

Senator HOEVEN. You have programs in water, in wastewater, 

telecommunications, housing, as we have mentioned, all of these, 

and we are going to give you an opportunity to deploy them. Your 

commitment to work with us is much appreciated and we look forward to it. 

Ms. MENSAH. I do, too, look forward. Thank you. 

Senator HOEVEN. Thank you. 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you for your questions and your interest. 

Chairwoman STABENOW. Well, thank you very much, and I think 

it is clear that there is both respect and support for your nomination, and we look forward to officially having the opportunity to 

move your nomination from committee to floor, and, hopefully, 

move that as quickly as possible. 

I think it is also clear you should expect to be traveling a lot—— 

[Laughter.] 

Chairwoman STABENOW. —airline tickets. We are going to give 

you a tour of the country, looking at rural communities in all of our 

States. I agree with Senator Hoeven that nothing takes the place 

of being there and talking to people and seeing what is happening 

in the States across the country. 

We thank you very much. We look forward to working with you. 

This is a very, very important position, and I think you can tell 

from the interests of the members today, it impacts every single 

one of our communities and all of our States. 

Any additional questions for the record should be submitted to 

the Committee Clerk two business days from today. That is 5:00 

p.m. on Friday, September 12. 

If there is no further business, the meeting is adjourned. 

Ms. MENSAH. Thank you. 

[Whereupon, at 10:52 a.m., the committee was adjourned.] 

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A P P E N D I X 

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