The Senate Agriculture Committee cleared for a floor vote the nomination of Stephen Vaden to become USDA’s chief lawyer with the senior Democrat on the panel, Debbie Stabenow, expressing reservations over Vaden’s past legal work and the personnel practices he has implemented in USDA’s legal shop. A member of the administration’s “beach head” team, Vaden effectively is the interim leader of the office following his appointment as principal deputy general counsel.
Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts said, “To best serve rural America, USDA needs all hands on deck and our committee is doing its part to make that happen.” Only three of the eight senior executives who work with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue have been confirmed by the Senate. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has blocked a vote on Bill Northey, nominated for undersecretary in charge of farm supports and land stewardship. The administration has yet to announce candidates for four other undersecretary slots.
Before joining the Trump team, Vaden was part of a legal team that filed friend-of-the-court briefs in cases in Ohio, North Carolina, and Virginia in defense of strict voter ID laws. Amid USDA negotiations over a new contract with its unionized lawyers, Vaden demanded more uniformity in working hours and eliminated a promotion structure for new hires, according to Politico.
Stabenow said she would seek more information on those issues “before I can consider supporting Mr. Vaden on the floor.” The Michigan senator voted for Vaden in committee and said afterward that with the 2018 farm bill on the horizon, “it is critical that the Agriculture Committee continues to work in a bipartisan manner to fill leadership positions at USDA.”