Confirmation of Ann M. Veneman Hearing Committee
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S. HRG. 107–137 CONFIRMATION OF ANN M. VENEMAN HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION JANUARY 18, 2001 Printed for the use of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.senate.gov∼agriculture U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 74–331 PS WASHINGTON : 2001 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 12:19 Nov 02, 2001 Jkt 074331 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 C:\DOCS\74331.TXT SAG1 PsN: SAG1 COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY TOM HARKIN, Iowa, Chairman PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont RICHARD G. LUGAR, Indiana, KENT CONRAD, North Dakota JESSE HELMS, North Carolina THOMAS A. DASCHLE, South Dakota THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi MAX BAUCUS, Montana MITCH MCCONNELL, Kentucky TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota PAT ROBERTS, Kansas BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, Arkansas PETER G. FITZGERALD, Illinois ZELL MILLER, Georgia CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, Iowa LARRY E. CRAIG, Idaho RICK SANTORUM, Pennsylvania GORDON SMITH, Oregon MARK HALVERSON, Staff Director ALISON FOX, Counsel ROBERT E. STURM, Chief Clerk KEITH LUSE, Staff Director for the Minority (II) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 12:19 Nov 02, 2001 Jkt 074331 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0486 Sfmt 0486 C:\DOCS\74331.TXT SAG1 PsN: SAG1 C O N T E N T S Page HEARING: Thursday, January 18, 2001 ................................................................................... 1 APPENDIX: Thursday, January 18, 2001 ................................................................................... 55 DOCUMENT(S) SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD: Thursday, January 18, 2001 ................................................................................... 81 Question(s) and answers submitted for the record: Thursday, January 18, 2001 ................................................................................... 111 Thursday, January 18, 2001 STATEMENTS PRESENTED BY SENATORS Harkin, Hon. Tom, a U.S. Senator from Iowa, Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry .................................................................. 1 Lugar, Hon. Richard G., a U.S. Senator from Indiana, Ranking Member, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry ......................................... 4 Cochran, Hon. Thad, a U.S. Senator from Mississippi ......................................... 19 Roberts, Hon. Pat, a U.S. Senator from Kansas ................................................... 24 Fitzgerald, Hon. Peter G., a U.S. Senator from Illinois ....................................... 33 Craig, Hon. Larry E., a U.S. Senator from Idaho ................................................. 30 Conrad, Hon. Kent, a U.S. Senator from North Dakota ...................................... 16 Lincoln, Hon. Blanche L., a U.S. Senator from Arkansas .................................... 27 Miller, Hon. Zell, a U.S. Senator from Georgia ..................................................... 31 Stabenow, Hon. Debbie, a U.S. Senator from Michigan ....................................... 35 Dayton, Hon. Mark, a U.S. Senator from Minnesota ........................................... 40 Nelson, Hon. E. Benjamin, a U.S. Senator from Nebraska .................................. 38 Johnson, Hon. Tim, a U.S. Senator from south Dakota ....................................... 22 Grassley, Hon. Charles E., a U.S. Senator from Iowa .......................................... 44 INTRODUCTION OF ANN M. VENEMAN Feinstein, Hon. Dianne, a U.S. Senator from California ...................................... 6 Boxer, Hon. Barbara, a U.S. Senator from California .......................................... 7 Dreier, Hon. David, a U.S. Senator from California ............................................. 5 WITNESSES Veneman, Ann M., Designee for Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture .... 10 APPENDIX PREPARED STATEMENTS: Harkin, Hon. Tom ............................................................................................ 56 Boxer, Hon. Barbara ........................................................................................ 58 Craig, Hon. Larry E. ........................................................................................ 62 McConnell, Hon. Mitch .................................................................................... 63 Baucus, Hon. Max ............................................................................................ 65 (III) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 12:19 Nov 02, 2001 Jkt 074331 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\DOCS\74331.TXT SAG1 PsN: SAG1 IV Page PREPARED STATEMENTS—CONTINUED Johnson, Hon. Tim ........................................................................................... 60 Leahy, Hon. Patrick ......................................................................................... 67 Santorum, Hon Rick ......................................................................................... 73 Grassley, Chuck ................................................................................................ 76 Veneman, Ann M. ............................................................................................. 78 DOCUMENT(S) SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD: Biographical information of Ann M. Veneman .............................................. 82 Letter of Opposition submitted by Marcia Merry Baker, Executive Intel- ligence Review ............................................................................................... 104 Letter of Support submitted by National Federation of Federal Employ- ees .................................................................................................................. 109 QUESTION(S) AND ANSWERS SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD: Lincoln, Hon. Blanche ...................................................................................... 112 Johnson, Hon. Tim ........................................................................................... 119 Conrad, Hon. Kent ........................................................................................... 122 Harkin, Hon. Tom ............................................................................................ 126 Leahy, Hon. Patrick ......................................................................................... 130 Roberts, Hon. Pat ............................................................................................. 134 Baucus, Hon. Max ............................................................................................ 138 Smith, Hon. Gordon .......................................................................................... 141 Lugar, Hon. Richard G. .................................................................................... 143 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 12:19 Nov 02, 2001 Jkt 074331 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\DOCS\74331.TXT SAG1 PsN: SAG1 CONFIRMATION OF ANN M. VENEMAN AS SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2001 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY, Washington, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:00 a.m. in room 538, Senate Dirksen Building, Hon. Tom Harkin (Chairman of the Committee) presiding. Present: Senators Harkin, Lugar, Grassley, Roberts, Cochran, Craig, Fitzgerald, Miller, Conrad, Nelson, Johnson, Dayton, Lin- coln, and Stabenow. The CHAIRMAN. The Senate Agriculture Committee will come to order. And I will at this time recognize our distinguished Senator from Indiana, Senator Lugar. Senator LUGAR. Well, thank you very much, Chairman Harkin. It’s my privilege to pass the gavel over to Chairman Harkin, who has already used it to commence this meeting. [Laughter.] But nevertheless, I advised him a few days ago, it’s well to get loosened up, he may need this. This is a 50–50 Senate, there is every attempt always made in this committee to work in a biparti- san and collegial fashion. And I’m grateful that, that has been so. And Tom Harkin is a major reason why that is so. So it’s a privilege to pass the gavel over to you for this very, very important meeting. And I just have the admonition, make sure that you do well. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. TOM HARKIN, A U.S. SENATOR FROM IOWA, CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Senator Lugar. I will be returning it shortly. [Laughter.] I must at the outset first of all thank Senator Lugar for his many kindnesses and generosities during our tenure together here on the Senate Ag Committee. It truly has been a bipartisan effort. We’ve had a great working relationship and I believe that will continue to be so during this session of the Senate also. And so I look forward to working with you, Senator Lugar, and addressing the many problems that we have in agriculture and moving our agenda forward with our new Secretary of Agriculture. I also have said at the outset that this is again a singular honor for me to chair the Ag Committee for a couple of days. The last (1) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 12:19 Nov 02, 2001 Jkt 074331 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 C:\DOCS\74331.TXT SAG1 PsN: SAG1 2 Iowan to chair the Senate Agriculture Committee was Jonathan P. Doliver from Fort Dodge. He served as chairman of this committee from March 15th, 1909 to June 25th, 1910, a little over a year. So that was a short time. Well, I’m going to beat him. [Laughter.] I will