If there was any question of backing for Sam Clovis, nominated to be USDA chief scientist, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said, “I fully support the nomination” and “the president has confidence in his abilities.” Perdue brushed aside questions whether Clovis, a college professor, has the credentials for the job.
Clovis has emerged as the most controversial USDA nominee in 15 years; most of its executives enter government nearly unnoticed. Three Democratic senators, including Debbie Stabenow, the senior Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, have questioned if Clovis is qualified to be undersecretary for research, a job that doubles as chief scientist.
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) asks visitors to its website to write or call senators to oppose Clovis. “It is crucial that we act now to stop the Senate from confirming him,” says the site. “U.S. law requires that this position be filled by a scientist.” Clovis, formerly an Iowa college professor and co-chair of the Trump presidential campaign, has a doctorate in public administration, has published few academic papers and is a climate-change skeptic.
“I think he will manage the research and education mission area of USDA in fine fashion,” Perdue said during a teleconference from Springfield, Ill., while on a five-state farm=bill tour. “Sam Clovis is a very smart individual, very committed to the success of agriculture. He’s knowledgeable in many areas.”
By statute, the post of USDA chief scientist is reserved for “distinguished scientists with specialized or significant experience in agricultural research, education and economics.”
“Sam Clovis is an academician,” said Perdue, pointing to Clovis’ interest in economics, “which is part of agricultural success as well.” In any case, he said, at the sub-cabinet level of undersecretary, Clovis will be occupied by management of agency budgets, personnel, research initiative and relations with other research institutions. “The undersecretary of REE [research, education and economics] is not going to be doing basic or applied research. That’s not what the job calls for.”
UCS senior scientist Ricardo Salvador said, “Congress knew what it was doing when it required scientific training for the person who holds this job. The chief scientist needs to be firmly grounded in the scientific process, really understand what scientists do and how to apply science to public policy decisions.”
Since inauguration day, Clovis has been Trump’s top political operative at USDA. During the campaign, he was Trump’s intermediary with farm groups. Two dozen of the leading U.S. farm groups, including the Farm Bureau, wrote the Senate Agriculture Committee in support of Clovis in late July. Like some other proponents, the farm groups said Clovis’ political connections and his dedication “to making sure the world’s best available science is being used by all government agencies” were paramount. USDA scientists “do not need a peer. They need someone to champion their work,” said the letter.
The second-largest farm group, the NFU, and the National Association of Wheat Growers, have not taken a position on the nomination.
Last week, CNN reported that Clovis described black leaders as “race traders” and President Obama as a “Maoist” in blogs written several years ago in conjunction with a radio talk show aimed at political conservatives. Perdue said the CNN report fit into “an attempt by the opposition over the delaying and smearing of candidates.”