WASHINGTON – Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich), Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, today applauded the inaugural appointees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) new Tribal Advisory Committee. The Committee was created by Stabenow in the 2018 Farm Bill to ensure that Indian Country is well represented within USDA programs and resources, and it will advise the Department on tribal-related issues and policies.
The 11 new members ofthe inaugural Committee include Whitney Gravelle of Bay Mills Indian Community, who was appointed by Stabenow. Gravelle is President of the Bay Mills Indian Community and previously served as a Chief Judge for the Bay Mills Tribal Court.
Stabenow said: “In the 2018 Farm Bill, we strengthened support for tribal communities in every title of the bill, and I look forward to building on that progress. Today we are taking another step toward improving equity at USDA. President Gravelle,who is the second and youngest woman to ever serve as President of the Bay Mills Indian Community, is well qualified to serve in her new role and represent the interests of tribal communities in Michigan and across the country.”
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