Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently visited Iowa as part of a multi-state campaign to publicize President Barack Obama’s agricultural policies. In his most recent appearance, Vilsack credited Obama’s ag policies with creating a strong farm economy for the past several years.

With the 2012 presidential election heating up, both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have been crisscrossing the Midwest and the Corn Belt, visiting several battleground states in the region. Iowa, in particular, is looking increasingly important; with its nine electoral votes currently up in the air.

Secretary Vilsack, the former Governor of Iowa, is an increasingly valuable surrogate for the Obama campaign in the region due to his high popularity and his ability to address one of the Obama administration’s strongest pieces of campaign rhetoric; the strong agricultural economy.

Vilsack’s latest stop in Iowa saw him attacking Republicans in Congress, specifically the House, for failing to pass a new farm bill. “I’m concerned, because the House leadership basically put their finger on the pause button,” he said. “In visiting with farmers across the country, the one thing I hear repeatedly is we need certainty in policy, and we need to know now.”

Vilsack also criticized Romney’s vice presidential nominee, Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan, for his proposed reduction in crop insurance funding.

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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer