Two More USDA Nominees Get Senate Ag Hearing

The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing for two more Department of Agriculture political nominees next week. Committee leadership announced the hearing for Glen Smith, of Iowa, to be a Member of the Farm Credit Administration Board, and Stephen Vaden (vay-den), of Tennessee, to be USDA General Counsel. The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, November 9th, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern. Meanwhile, the nomination of Bill Northey as undersecretary for farm production and conservation remains on hold by Texas Republican Ted Cruz, as Cruz is demanding a meeting with the administration on the Renewable Fuel Standard. Northey's nomination breezed through the Senate Agriculture Committee last month, along with Greg Ibach (Eye'-baw) as undersecretary of agriculture for marketing and regulatory programs. The Senate confirmed Ibach's nomination a week ago, and he was sworn in this week be Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.