Former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer goes before the Senate Agriculture Committee Thursday to begin the process of confirming him as the next Secretary of Agriculture.
Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, plans to ask Schafer about enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act and wants a commitment to tighten up the definition of "actively engaged in farming." However Grassley says there are a couple of reasons this hearing shouldn't be controversial.
"First, I think Governor Schafer is a good nominee; well qualified," Grassley says. "Second, it's only for the next year. In fact he won't be in office for a full 12 months."
Once Schafer's nomination is approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee, it will be sent to the floor for a vote of the full Senate.