Schafer becomes agriculture sec'y amid farm bill fight

[ursi]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate confirmed millionaire businessman Ed Schafer as U.S. agriculture secretary on Monday amid White House threats to veto a $286 billion farm policy bill.

Schafer, 61, is a former two-term Republican governor of North Dakota, where farming and ranching are important. He succeeds Mike Johanns, who resigned last September to run for the Senate.

As secretary, Schafer will be in charge of deadlocked negotiations with Congress over the five-year farm bill. The administration says the bill must deny crop subsidies to the wealthiest Americans and not raise taxes. Lawmakers say without new revenue, they cannot pay for expansions of food stamp, land stewardship and biofuel programs.

President George W. Bush said in a statement that Schafer "will work with Congress to pass a responsible farm bill that will provide a safety net for farmers and protect our lands and the environment, while at the same time ensuring federal tax dollars are spent wisely."



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSWBT00825920080128

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...another rich Bush crony.

[RC]

1. Being from North Dakota, I can say Shafer is indeed another bu$h crony.

He has already proven himself here. He was an ok Governor, but went deep into the dark side afterwords. Saying he is reality challenged on cause and effect is being nice.

[LiberalFighter]

2. I hope they told him he has to vacate the office on 1/19/2009