AP News, October 31st, 2007
President Bush on Wednesday nominated Edward Schafer, a former two-term Republican governor from North Dakota, to head the Agriculture Department.
Schafer's confirmation would bring new leadership to the department in the middle of congressional negotiations over a new five-year farm bill. He would replace Mike Johanns, who resigned as agriculture secretary last month to launch a bid for the Nebraska Senate seat being vacated by Republican Chuck Hagel next year.
"At every stage of his career, Ed has shown wisdom, foresight and creativity," Bush said in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. "Those same qualities will make him a valuable member of my Cabinet and they will make him a trusted friend to America's farmers and ranchers. His passion for agriculture has deep roots."
Schafer gained agricultural experience while serving as governor, from 1992 to 2000, in a state where nearly 25 percent of its residents work as farmers and ranchers or are employed in farm-related jobs.
He was elected to his first term with 58 percent of the vote, and was re-elected four years later with 66 percent, becoming the first Republican governor to win a second term in North Dakota since the 1950s. He chose not to run for re-election in 2000.
"I realize that the mission of this agency goes far beyond the services delivered to the preservation of a way of life that I believe is the foundation of this country," Schafer said.
It was the second Cabinet post vacancy Bush filled in two days. On Tuesday, Bush nominated retired Army Lt. Gen. James Peake to direct the embattled Department of Veterans Affairs, which is strained by the influx of wounded troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Both nominations must be confirmed by the Senate.
Schafer's selection comes at a crucial time for the Agriculture Department, which is closely following — and hoping to influence — the farm bill moving through Congress.
There had been speculation that Bush would keep Charles Conner, the acting secretary and former deputy secretary, in place so the department would not face reshuffling until the farm bill was signed by the president.
"I am eager to welcome him to the department and to work side by side with him to continue the tradition of strong leadership at USDA," Conner said in a statement Wednesday.
The administration has staunchly opposed congressional efforts to keep current farm programs — including billions of dollars in annual crop subsidies to farmers — largely in place. Under Johanns, Bush threatened to veto the House version of the legislation, which passed in July. The Senate is scheduled to debate its version of the $288 billion bill next week.
"With Ed's leadership, we will work with Congress to pass a farm bill that provides farmers with a safety net, protects our lands and the environment, and spends federal tax dollars wisely," Bush said.
The Bush administration has argued that too many farm dollars are directed to wealthy farmers, a position that is likely to put Schafer at odds with Congress as farm interests continue to have considerable influence on Capitol Hill.
Bush has also opposed proposals to provide billions in additional financial assistance to farmers who have suffered weather-related losses, a priority for North Dakota farmers.
Schafer's former brother-in-law, North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad, is one of the Democratic authors of the Senate farm bill. Conner criticized that legislation last week, saying it does not do enough to limit subsidies.
Conrad said Wednesday that he welcomed Schafer's nomination and hoped he would support the Senate farm legislation.
Schafer has resisted Republican attempts to persuade him to run for office in recent years. He declined to seek the GOP nomination against Conrad in 2006 and against Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan in 2004.
Both Schafer's political rivals and his supporters have praised the former governor's easygoing manner. When in office, Schafer insisted on being called "Ed," favored self-deprecating jokes and made a point of personally greeting everyone in a room, including prison inmates seeking pardons.
Senate Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., both said they look forward to working with him.
"He's someone who understands agriculture in our part of the world, and that is a good thing," Peterson said. "The question is whether he will have to toe the administration's line."
During his first statewide campaign in North Dakota, an unsuccessful 1990 bid to unseat then-U.S. Rep. Dorgan, Schafer was critical of some federal farm initiatives. They helped subsidize "lousy operations," Schafer said then.
"Low prices, whether you like it or not, are a fact of the marketplace," Schafer said. "We need something that doesn't reward the poor operators and penalize the good operators."
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Associated Press writers Deb Riechmann and Dale Wetzel in Bismarck, N.D. contributed to this report.
