President Trump should withdraw the nomination of “wildly unqualified” Sam Clovis for USDA chief scientist “as a gesture to the American people that this administration is serious about rooting out the most hateful voices in our society,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. If he doesn’t, Schumer said in a joint statement with Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Trump can expect an all-out fight in the Senate to reject Clovis.
Schumer and Schatz were the first senators to announce opposition to Clovis, a co-chair of Trump’s presidential campaign and currently the president’s chief political operative at the USDA. A spokesman said Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy also opposes the nomination and believes it should be withdrawn. Four other Democrats — Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Chris Coons of Delaware, Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Kamala Harris of California — have questioned Clovis’ qualifications for the job. Stabenow and Leahy serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee, which is expected to hold a confirmation hearing on Clovis in the fall.
“If President Trump does not withdraw this nomination, I will work as ranking member of the Agriculture Committee to bring to light this nominee’s troubling record and ask tough questions about his suitability for this important job,” said Stabenow.
Clovis is the most controversial USDA nominee in 15 years. The former Iowa college professor, who has a doctorate in business administration, is under consideration for a post that is reserved by statute for “distinguished scientists with specialized or significant experience in agricultural research, education, and economics.” In the years before joining the Trump campaign, Clovis called President Obama an aspiring dictator and a “Maoist,” described climate change as a con job, said homosexuality was a choice, and labeled black leaders as “race traders,” according to CNN reviews of comments and writings Clovis made as host of a talk radio show, political activist, and candidate for a GOP Senate nomination.
“The extremist views Mr. Clovis has expressed and the racist conspiracy theories he has stoked about President Obama, former Attorney General Eric Holder, members of the LGBT community, and others have zero place in the public discourse, much less coming from the highest levels of our government,” said Schumer and Schatz. “If President Trump refuses to withdraw Mr. Clovis, we will vehemently oppose his nomination and urge our colleagues from both parties to come together and summarily reject him as well.”
Republicans control the Senate 52–48, so Clovis will start with a numerical advantage if opposition to his nomination is solely partisan. The Senate often gives deference to presidential discretion in making nominations. The Clovis nomination is for a sub-cabinet post, undersecretary for research, that doubles as chief scientist.
The Union of Concerned Scientists, an early opponent of the nomination, said Clovis’ “ignorant and offensive statements on race and LGBTQ issues expose how much of a threat Clovis is to science-based governance — and to communities across the U.S. We encourage senators on both sides of the aisle to join this effort to protect all Americans from the dangers of eliminating rigorous scientific decision-making from a key administrative position that will shape the future of our nation’s food and farm system.”
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said early this month that he and Trump are solidly behind the nomination. Perdue brushed aside questions about Clovis’ credentials, saying he is “an academician” and that, as a USDA policymaker, Clovis would be managing personnel, projects, and budgets rather than conducting research firsthand. “That’s not what this job calls for.” A USDA spokesman was not immediately available for comment on the statement by Schumer and Schatz.
Two dozen major U.S. farm groups signed a letter of support for Clovis weeks ago, though the National Farmers Union and the National Association of Wheat Growers have not taken a position. Supporters say Clovis offers the farm sector a rare opportunity to have direct White House access.