The newly confirmed United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary, Tom Vilsak, promised to “research and develop best practices for the ethanol industry to ensure its survival." The ethanol industry in the country (particularly the corn-ethanol industry), is an “ailing” industry, having suffered “volatile corn prices and low demand for a fuel that is more expensive than petrol." Vilsack, in his first news conference said, “we need to make sure that the biofuels industry has the necessary support to survive the recent downturn, while at the same promoting policies that will speed up the development of second and third generation feedstocks for those biofuels that have the potential to significantly improve America’s energy security and independence.”.