USDA Undersecretary Resigns!

[CattleCo]

USDA Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Bill Hawks has tendered his resignation from USDA. Hawks has worked on some of the more-thorny issues for USDA in his tenure in the position, including matters such as country of origin labeling, animal ID and the BSE situation.

Hawks was one of many names tossed about to replace former USDA Secretary Ann Veneman, garnering some support from ag interests given his background as a farmer.

USDA Secretary Mike Johanns issued the following statement on Hawks' resignation:

"Today, I have received on behalf of the President the resignation of Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Bill Hawks. Over the past four years, Bill has worked on some of USDA's most challenging issues to protect and promote U.S. agriculture in the areas of animal and plant disease at home and abroad, while also helping the Bush Administration's efforts to break down sanitary and phytosanitary barriers to U.S. exports. Bill has agreed to continue to serve in the coming months as we identify a replacement and I thank him for his service and wish him well in all his future endeavors."

 

[mrj]

This is interesting. I read the announcement of his nomination four years ago and recent news (all on animal ID). I assume he's resigning because he's had enough stress and possibly as the fall guy on animal ID or because he and Johanns are in disagreement. This is purely speculation on my part, based on how these things seem to me to come about.

{No assumptions, just wonder if Hawks sees other opportunities, and/or Johanns wants to have a person in that spot who has different talents and strengths.....different......not necessarily better or nor lesser.

Johanns has an extremely difficult job due in large part to all the political polarization and attacks on USDA over the past several years. It seems likely to me that he would want people he knows very well and trusts highly working with him.

MRJ

 

[Denny]

This is interesting. I read the announcement of his nomination four years ago and recent news (all on animal ID). I assume he's resigning because he's had enough stress and possibly as the fall guy on animal ID or because he and Johanns are in disagreement. This is purely speculation on my part, based on how these things seem to me to come about.

{No assumptions, just wonder if Hawks sees other opportunities, and/or Johanns wants to have a person in that spot who has different talents and strengths.....different......not necessarily better or nor lesser.

Johanns has an extremely difficult job due in large part to all the political polarization and attacks on USDA over the past several years. It seems likely to me that he would want people he knows very well and trusts highly working with him.

MRJ

Or maybe he doesnt want to be a puppet of the USDA/NCBA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA :wink: :wink: :wink: