Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 5/2/19

Ephraim Leibtag, previously the ERS assistant administrator, was named acting administrator starting Wednesday, according to an internal memo obtained by POLITICO. Chris Hartley was required to step down due to tenure limits on acting positions, writes Pro Ag's Liz Crampton.

Leibtag served as deputy director for research and as product coordinator for the agency's Food Economics Division. He recently helped prepare the agency's strategic plan and also oversees the ERS staff analysis team.

Hartley will stay on at ERS to help steer the relocation process, according to the internal memo from Scott Hutchins, the Agriculture Department's deputy undersecretary for research, education and economics.

Local tensions: The proposed relocation has caused some friction between Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and fellow Georgian Sanford Bishop, who has tried to use his powers as chairman of the House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee to quash the proposal, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.