Texas Sen. Ted Cruz thwarted an attempt by midwestern senators for an immediate vote on the nomination of Bill Northey of Iowa to be the No. 3 official at the USDA, in charge of farm support and land stewardship programs. Cruz, who has informally blocked action on Northey since last October, objected on the Senate floor when Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley asked for unanimous consent for a confirmation vote on the nominee.
Cruz hopes to use the Northey nomination as leverage to win changes in the Renewable Fuel Standard, such as a cap on the credits, known as RINs, that oil refiners can buy as one way to comply with the biofuels mandate. During a Senate speech, Grassley said, “None of this has anything to do with President Trump’s choice to oversee farm programs at USDA.” Three of Grassley’s colleagues on the Senate Agriculture Committee — Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and Joni Ernst of Iowa — also spoke in support of Northey.
Grassley told WOI-TV in Des Moines that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “hasn’t been willing to intervene” in the dispute over Northey, so he would ask for a vote on his own. Cruz used the Senate tradition of a “hold,” which allows a senator to block a vote on a bill or a nominee, to stall Northey. “If Senator Cruz objects, then we’re back to square one. I’m sorry to tell you that one senator can hold up almost anything they want to hold up,” said Grassley during the interview. Northey is nearing the end of his third term as the elected state agriculture secretary in Iowa and will soon have to decide whether to wait for a Senate vote or pursue another term in Iowa. The filing period for state offices runs from Feb. 26 to March 16. “I believe there is still hope right now,” Northey told Successful Farming at the end of January.