SHAFER CONFIRMED AS USDA SECRETARY
News Date February 04, 2008
The Senate unanimously confirmed former North Dakota Governor Ed Shafer as secretary of agriculture on January 28. He was sworn in by Vice President Dick Cheney shortly after the vote and attended the State of the Union address as a member of President George Bush's cabinet.
Shafer spoke to USDA employees on January 29 to outline his priorities and also met with agricultural reporters during the week. In addition to the 2007 farm bill, Shafer said that he will push to make USDA's rural telecommunications and broadband service programs more effective and accessible. He indicated that he would play an active role in the 2007 farm bill negotiations with House and Senate agricultural leaders.
Schafer served as North Dakota's governor from 1992 to 2000 and made diversifying and expanding North Dakota's economy, reducing the cost of government and advancing agriculture his top priorities in office. Born and raised in Bismarck, North Dakota, Schafer graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1969 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and earned an MBA from the University of Denver in 1970. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)