Senators needed only 75 seconds to confirm Bill Northey by voice vote as the No 3. USDA official, ending a four-month delay tied to a fight over the Renewable Fuel Standard. “While this process has taken far longer than expected, I remain as excited as ever to work with Secretary (Sonny) Perdue and the staff at USDA in support of our nation’s farmers and ranchers,” said Northey, who will oversee USDA’s crop subsidy, crop insurance and land stewardship programs.
Indiana Sen. Todd Young asked for an immediate Senate vote on Northey at nearly the same moment President Trump met four Republican senators at the White House to discuss possible revisions to the RFS. One of the senators, Ted Cruz of Texas, had blocked action on Northey since early November. Cruz said he released his informal “hold” on Northey because the White House called the meeting on RFS. Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst said Cruz set a shifting series of conditions during the winter to allow a vote on Northey.
A USDA spokesman said a starting date for Northey was not immediately available. A fourth-generation farmer, Northey is nearing the end of his third term as Iowa’s elected secretary of agriculture. He was a popular nominee among farm groups, who applauded the Senate vote.
Northey is the fifth senior executive confirmed by the Senate to serve at USDA out of 13 positions to be filled by presidential nominees. The White House has yet to announce its choices for the undersecretaries, who serve one step below Perdue, in charge of meat safety, public nutrition and the Forest Service.