WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley today responded to news reports that former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack has been tapped as Secretary of Agriculture by President-Elect Barack Obama.

"This comes as a surprise since about three weeks ago Governor Vilsack stated that he was not in contention for the job, but it sure isn't a surprise because of his qualifications. As Governor of Iowa he had a firsthand look at the role of agriculture in our global economy," Grassley said. "I'm happy for him, happy for Iowa and this is welcome news for agriculture."