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Perdue's almost-empty sub-cabinet
Story Date: 11/29/2017
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Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 11/28/17
Seven months after Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue took office, USDA is still operating with little permanent leadership. Only four of more than a dozen Senate-confirmed positions have been filled, Perdue's included. Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky, Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney and Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach are all in place - but otherwise, Perdue's looking at a winter of discontent in his effort to get boots on the ground.
There are only a few USDA nominees waiting for sign off, and the Senate has an extremely busy agenda over the two weeks it will be in session before the holidays. It could be a few months before final votes are taken on nominations for which selections have yet to be made.
Who's still waiting?
- Stephen Vaden: The nominee for general counsel has not cleared the Senate Agriculture Committee, and a markup has not been scheduled. The panel held a confirmation hearing on the former Jones Day attorney and USDA beachhead team member on Nov. 9. But his momentum has stalled since then. The Tennessee native has come under fire from Democrats for past work backing state voter ID laws, which some argue were designed to restrict voting access of blacks and other minorities. He's also run afoul of the union that represents USDA's lawyers.
- Bill Northey: The administration's pick to head the newly created farm services and conservation mission area was expected to get a quick confirmation vote after the committee voted on Oct. 19 to send his nomination to the Senate floor. But since then, the three-term Iowa Agriculture Secretary has become a pawn in Sen. Ted Cruz 's efforts to get the Trump Administration to walk back its plans for the Renewable Fuel Standard. The agency faces a Thursday deadline to publish the blending requirements for biofuel in 2018 and 2019, and the meeting Cruz demanded to discuss changes to the program has not happened. How Cruz will handle things once the rule drops is an unanswered question.
- Gregg Doud: He is awaiting a floor vote on his nomination to be USTR's chief agricultural negotiator, but he may not get anywhere soon. Sen. Jeff Flake put a hold on his nomination over the controversial seasonal produce proposal USTR put forward during the NAFTA 2.0 talks. His selection was announced on June 16. Senate Finance held a confirmation hearing on Oct. 5 and unanimously cleared him on Oct. 25.
- Michael Dourson: The pick to head EPA's chemicals office - which oversees pesticides - has also hit some trouble. Dourson, a toxicologist, has for years consulted for companies seeking sign-off on their products, often pushing for legal limits far weaker than other scientists recommended. He's worked on chlorpyrifos and other organophosphates.
Some GOP Senators are opposing him over his efforts to get EPA and states to set a weaker threshold for certain chemicals that have been linked to health problems. Republican North Carolina Sens. Thom Tillis and Richard Burr have said they won't vote to confirm him and Maine Sen. Susan Collins has indicated she may follow suit. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee signed off on Dourson on Oct. 25 in a party-line 11-10 vote.
Which positions are vacant at USDA?
- Four undersecretary posts: Picks have not been announced for natural resources and the environment; food, nutrition and consumer services; and food safety. And the post of undersecretary for research, education and economics is also open after Sam Clovis withdrew from consideration earlier this month.
- Three assistant secretary posts: The administration also has not announced selections for the assistant secretaries for congressional relations, administration or civil rights. Same is true for the CFO post.
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