Ed Schafer Tabbed to be the Next Secretary of Ag

Former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer could soon be headed for an office in Washington President George W Bush announced his nomination of Schafer as the new Secretary of Agriculture If the Senate confirms the nomination Schafer will become the country s twenty-ninth Ag Secretary He says he is humbled by the opportunity Ed Schafer Nominated for Secretary of Agriculture I appreciate the confidence you have in me and if I am confirmed i look forward to serving ou and the people of the United States of America in you cabinent as the secretary of agriculture It is humbling to follow my firend secretary johanns into this position But I hope I can live up to the high standards of performance that he set in the agency President Bush Ed Schafer is the right person to fill this post He was a leader of agriculture during his 8 years as governor of N D he worked to open new markets for nd farmers and ranchers by expanding trade with China he oversaw the development of the state s biofuels inudstry he helped families recover from natural disasters including drought fires and floods and he pioneered innovative programs to increase economic opportunities in rural communities Schafer would replace Mike Johanns who resigned as U-S agriculture secretary last month to launch a bid for the Nebraska Senate