Committee’s disinterest in food safety may be reason for delaying confirmation

It’s been six months since the White House announced President Biden was appointing

By protocol, the undersecretary is the top food safety post in the federal government.  But that has not made any difference to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, where the Esteban appointment has remained week after week, and month after month awaiting a needed confirmation hearing that has not occurred.

It’s now likely that if Esteban ever does win U.S. Senate confirmation, he will be among the last of Biden’s original appointments to do so. About 100 of the top 700 Biden executive appointments still require Senate confirmation.

Esteban needs to have his nomination heard and recommended to the full Senate before his confirmation vote.  He is no closer to accomplishing those steps than he was six months ago.

If confirmed by the Senate,  Esteban would become the sixth  Senate-confirmed undersecretary for food safety since Congress created the executive position in 1994. The Senate Agriculture Committee has not said whether disinterest in USDA food safety or some other reason is why it is letting the Esteban nomination languish.

Esteban is a veteran of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), where he worked since 2001, becoming its chief scientist in 2018. His official USDA biolography makes these points:

• “Dr. J. Emilio Esteban was appointed as chief scientist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service in August 2018. In this capacity, Dr. Esteban serves as the primary scientific advisor on matters of public health and food safety that affect the mission of the agency, with primary responsibility for scientific initiatives within the Office of Public Health Science (OPHS). Dr. Esteban’s efforts directly support FSIS’ Strategic Goals 1: Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health, and 2: Modernize Inspection Systems, Policies, and the Use of Scientific Approaches.
• “In 2002, Dr. Esteban joined OPHS as the director of the Western Laboratory. In this role, he directed the implementation of the sampling program and was responsible for the physical plant, equipment and personnel infrastructure. In 2008, he was appointed as the FSIS science advisor for laboratory services, where he harmonized the operation of all three FSIS laboratories, maintained operations to meet with the ISO17025 standard, and coordinated emergency response.
• “Prior to joining FSIS, Dr. Esteban worked in several positions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). From 1994 to 2002, he was as an epidemic intelligence service officer; a staff epidemiologist in the National Center for Environmental Health; and an assistant director for the CDC Food Safety Office.
• “He received his doctorate in veterinary medicine from Mexico’s National University, a master’s of business administration from the Panamerican Institute, and a master’s of preventive veterinary medicine, as well as a doctorate in epidemiology from the University of California at Davis.”

The Office of the Undersecretary for Food Safety has remained vacant since last Inauguration Day, when,

The White House on May 13 announced the appointment of Stacy Dean as USDA Undersecretry for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. Dean also awaits a hearing and confirmation vote.

In addition to Brashears, previous under secretaries include Dr. Elisabeth Hagen (August 2010- December 2013), Dr. Richard Allen Raymond (July 2005–January 2009), Elsa A. Murano (October 2001–December 2004), and Catherine Woteki (July 1997–January 2001).

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