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Department of Agriculture Secretary Confirmed: The United States Senate has confirmed Edward Shafer, the former Governor of North Dakota, to be the Secretary of Agriculture. The confirmation occurred without objection. There has been some delay related to the confirmation because at this point the farm bill is pending and the White House is threatening to veto the bill over a number of tax issues and matters related to who gets farm subsidies. Having a Secretary on board is obviously important to that process, so the confirmation is very timely. 2-2-08 The "Farm Bill" is a huge piece of legislation that comes in at about $286 billion dollars over a five year basis. There is always substantial controversy about this bill - much of it related to the enormous subsidies which sometimes go to powerful and wealthy farm interests. More important, though is the money that filters down into land management issues across the country. Copyright John Isaacson 2004-2008 |
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