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Peter Feather is responsible for analyzing the Department's various policies and activities that relate to agricultural labor, and he represents the USDA on immigration issues.Dr. Feather has held this position since June, 2009.  Prior to that, he held positions as the Fuel Economy Division Chief at the Department of Transportation, Senior Economist at the President's Council of Economic Advisers and Economist at the USDA Economic Research Service.

Welcome to the National Appeals Division (NAD) websiteNAD is an office that reports directly to the Se

The Office of the Judicial Officer was established pursuant to the Act of April 4, 1940 (7 U.S.C. §§ 2204-1 through 2204-5 (formerly cited as 7 U.S.C. §§ 450c-450g)). The Act of April 4, 1940, is also known as the Schwellenbach Act. The Judicial Officer is delegated authority by the Secretary of Agriculture to act as final deciding officer in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) adjudicatory proceedings subject to 5 U.S.C. §§ 556 and 557 and other proceedings listed in 7 C.F.R. § 2.35.

Blanket Order Extending Filing Deadlines Occurring During Furlough (PDF, 172 KB)The Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ) conducts rulemaking and adjudicatory hearings throughout the United States in proceedings subject to the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. § 551 et seq. Over fifty statutes administered by USDA agencies require APA hearings.

The Departmental Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Records Management (RM) programs were realigned under the General Counsel (GC), specifically in a new stand alone, the Office of Information Affairs (OIA) pursuant to Secretary Memorandums issued in 2019 and 2020.Alexis Graves serves as the OIA Director. In this role, Ms. Graves provides high-level oversight, counsel, and support to the Department’s FOIA and RM programs.

The Office of External and Intergovernmental Affairs (EIA) builds trusted relationships with state, county and local elected and appointed officials, and external organizations (trade associations, philanthropic organizations, and faith-based organizations) throughout the nation to advance USDA and the Secretary’s priorities and to serve as the hub for elected and appointed officials and external organizations to communicate with the Secretary and USDA officials and access programs and services.