Johanns confident in farm bill completion
Thursday, September 20, 2007, 4:38 PM
by Tom Steever
Where farm bill completion is concerned, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns says he’s assembled a fine staff, including Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner, who negotiated the 2002 farm bill for the Bush administration.
In a DTN story, Johanns, who made his rumored resignation official Thursday, said that no federal department is about one person.
Johanns' confidence in the ability of USDA staff to get a farm bill completed did not impress Senate Democrats who pointed out that Johanns quit his job as governor to become agriculture secretary and has quit other political jobs in the past to move up.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., accused Johanns of abandoning the most important part of his job.
A similar sentiment came in a prepared statement from South Dakota Democratic Senator Tim Johnson, "I was scheduled to meet with Secretary Johanns this afternoon, but his office called to cancel late yesterday," said Johnson Thursday. "Now that I know why," he said, "I can only say I am disappointed that the Secretary is irresponsibly walking away with the farm bill heating up. America’s farmers and ranchers didn’t even get two weeks notice."
Thursday, September 20, 2007, 4:38 PM
by Tom Steever
Where farm bill completion is concerned, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns says he’s assembled a fine staff, including Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner, who negotiated the 2002 farm bill for the Bush administration.
In a DTN story, Johanns, who made his rumored resignation official Thursday, said that no federal department is about one person.
Johanns' confidence in the ability of USDA staff to get a farm bill completed did not impress Senate Democrats who pointed out that Johanns quit his job as governor to become agriculture secretary and has quit other political jobs in the past to move up.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., accused Johanns of abandoning the most important part of his job.
A similar sentiment came in a prepared statement from South Dakota Democratic Senator Tim Johnson, "I was scheduled to meet with Secretary Johanns this afternoon, but his office called to cancel late yesterday," said Johnson Thursday. "Now that I know why," he said, "I can only say I am disappointed that the Secretary is irresponsibly walking away with the farm bill heating up. America’s farmers and ranchers didn’t even get two weeks notice."