Notable Diaries

- Recent Congressional Hearings
- 2008 By The Numbers
- The 2007 Ag Census
- Cuba Diaries
- Mexico Diaries
- Why I Oppose GMOs
- My Visit to Growing Power
- My Trip to a Hog Confinement
- Why We Grow So Much Corn and Soy
- How the Chicken Gets to Your Plate

Politicians To Know

USDA

Senate

Agriculture
Chair: Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
- Max Baucus (D-MT)
- Michael Bennet (D-CO)
- Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
- Bob Casey (D-PA)
- Kent Conrad (D-ND)
- Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
- Tom Harkin (D-IA)
- Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
- Pat Leahy (D-VT)
- Ben Nelson (D-NE)
- Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
- Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
- Thad Cochran (R-MS)
- John Cornyn (R-TX)
- Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
- Mike Johanns (R-NE)
- Dick Lugar (R-IN)
- Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Pat Roberts (R-KS)
- John R. Thune (R-SD)

Appropriations
Chair: Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Ag Sub-Committee
Chair: Herb Kohl (D-WI)
- Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
- Dick Durbin (D-IL)
- Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
- Tom Harkin (D-IA)
- Tim Johnson (D-SD)
- Ben Nelson (D-NE)
- Jack Reed (D-RI)
- Robert Bennett (R-UT)
- Christopher Bond (R-MO)
- Sam Brownback (R-KS)
- Thad Cochran (R-MS)
- Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Arlen Specter (R-PA)

Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions
- Chris Dodd (D-CT)

Senate Hunger Caucus

House

Agriculture
Chair: B Collin Peterson (D-MN)
V. Chair: B Tim Holden (D-PA)
B Joe Baca (D-CA)
- John Boccieri (D-OH)
B* Leonard Boswell (D-IA)
- Bobby Bright (D-AL)
B* Dennis Cardoza (D-CA)
- Travis Childers (D-MS)
B Jim Costa (D-CA)
- Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
- Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA)
B Brad Ellsworth (D-IN)
- Debbie Halvorson (D-IL)
B Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD)
- Steve Kagen (D-WI)
- Larry Kissell (D-NC)
B Frank Kratovil (D-MD)
- Betsy Markey (D-CO)
B Jim Marshall (D-GA)
P Eric Massa (D-NY)
B Mike McIntyre (D-NC)
- Walt Minnick (D-ID)
B Earl Pomeroy (D-ND)
- Mark Schauer (D-MI)
- Kurt Schrader (D-OR)
B David Scott (D-GA)
B Zachary Space (D-OH)
- Timothy Walz (D-MN)
- Frank Lucas (R-OK)
- Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
- K. Michael Conaway (R-TX)
- Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE)
- Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
- Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
- Sam Graves (R-MO)
- Timothy Johnson (R-IL)
- Steve King (R-IA)
- Robert Latta (R-OH)
- Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO)
- Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
- Jerry Moran (R-KS)
- Randy Neugebauer (R-TX)
- Phil Roe (R-TN)
- Mike Rogers (R-AL)
- Jean Schmidt (R-OH)
- Adrian Smith (R-NE)
- Glenn Thompson (R-PA)
*=House Organic Caucus member
B=Blue Dog Democrat

Appropriations
Chair: Dave Obey (D-WI)
Ag Sub-Committee
Chair: P Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
- Sanford Bishop (D-GA)
* Allen Boyd (D-FL)
- Lincoln Davis (D-TN)
*P Sam Farr (D-CA)
*P Maurice D. Hinchey (D-NY)
P Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
P Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
- Jack Kingston (R-GA)
- Rodney Alexander (R-LA)
- Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO)
* Tom Latham (R-IA)
*=House Organic Caucus member

P=Congressional Progressive Caucus

Education and Labor
P Chair: George Miller (D-CA)
- Jason Altmire (D-PA)
- Robert Andrews (D-NJ)
- Timothy Bishop (D-NY)
P Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
- Joe Courtney (D-CT)
- Susan Davis (D-CA)
P Marcia Fudge (D-OH)
P Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
P Phil Hare (D-IL)
- Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX)
P Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
- Rush Holt (D-NJ)
- Dale Kildee (D-MI)
P Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
P Dave Loebsack (D-IA)
- Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY)
P Donald Payne (D-NJ)
- Jared Polis (D-CO)
- Robert Scott (D-VA)
- Joe Sestak (D-PA)
- Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH)
P John Tierney (D-MA)
- Dina Titus (D-NV)
- Paul Tonko (D-NY)
P Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
- David Wu (D-OR)
- Buck McKeon (R-CA)
- Judy Biggert (R-IL)
- Rob Bishop (R-UT)
- Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
- Michael Castle (R-DE)
- Vernon Ehlers (R-MI)
- Luis F Fortuno (R-PR)
- Brett Guthrie (R-KY)
- Peter Hoekstra (R-MI)
- Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA)
- John Kline (R-MN)
- Kenny Marchant (R-TX)
- Tom McClintock (R-CA)
- Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
- Thomas Petri (R-WI)
- Phil Roe (R-TN)
- Todd Russell Platts (R-PA)
- Tom Price (R-GA)
- Mark Souder (R-IN)
- GT Thompson (R-PA)
- Joe Wilson (R-SC)
P=Congressional Progressive Caucus

House Organic Caucus
Congressional Progressive Caucus

Subscribe in a reader
Follow La Vida Locavore on Twitter - Read La Vida Locavore on Kindle

Dennis Wolff and the USDA - Update

by: Jill Richardson

Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 16:57:00 PM PST

After all that's gone on this week, I thought my life couldn't get any more unbelievable. But it looks like it might. We fought to get Obama elected and we won by a landslide. We've got a mandate. And what has our mandate earned us? A cabinet that gets Joe Lieberman's seal of approval. Yuck.

Well now it gets worse. There's been quite a bit of speculation over the new Ag Secretary and we've learned a little bit. Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Tom Vilsack aren't in the running, it would seem. Hallelujah. Although it seems like other than Vilsack's support of biotech he might not be a bad guy. Not that it matters if he's out of the running.

But who is in the running? A name has surfaced that no one initially suspected. Dennis Wolff, evil Secretary of Agriculture in the great state of Pennsylvania. And it looks like he might get the job.

Jill Richardson :: Dennis Wolff and the USDA - Update

The first thing I heard about this came from Shirah. She reported that Dennis Wolff was in talks with the Obama admin for the USDA job on November 15. From there it got worse. The next thing we found out was from Tom Philpott, that biotech shill Michael Taylor is on the UDSA transition team.

To those of you who are reading these names and wondering why they are so bad, let me connect some dots. Michael Taylor is a second cousin of Tipper Gore and the poster boy for the "revolving door" between industry and government. He was Monsanto's VP of Public Policy at one point. Now he's in academia. He's also worked for the USDA and the FDA and at a law firm.

Taylor was instrumental in legalizing rbGH - the growth hormone so unpopular that even Wal-Mart has decided to stop carrying products from cows treated with it. It's unpopular for a good reason too: it's cruel to the cows, it causes increased antibiotics and pus in the milk, and it is linked to cancer in humans when cows are treated with it and humans drink their milk. So obviously Mr. Taylor has all of our best interests in mind in his role on the Obama transition team. Obviously.

As for Wolff, he's a dairy farmer who, for some reason, must hate cows. I can't imagine that anyone with any concern for cows - or people - would ever stoop to using rbGH. But Wolff went a step further. He tried to ban any milk in Pennsylvania from a cow NOT treated with rbGH from having an "rbGH-free" label. Because consumers have soundly rejected the hormone, so he figures they might as well just not know how their milk was produced. What an arrogant, destructive opinion for someone to have who is in a place of power!!!

Wolff tried to do this in PA about a year ago, and fortunately after a flood of calls and emails came into the Governor's office, Ed Rendell kept it from happening. Pennsylvanians still have a right to know how their milk was produced. But what if Wolff became head of the USDA? Then we'd all be screwed.

Today the news came out that PA Gov. Rendell backs Dennis Wolff in his quest to head the USDA (Reuters). The only good news I can think of is that Rendell was a major Hillary supporter so maybe Obama won't listen to him. I've heard one source tell me they doubt Wolff would be appointed as Ag Secretary, but Reuters is still reporting about the possibility of such an appointment, so I think Obama needs to hear some vocal opposition to Dennis Wolff!!!

Tags: News, Dennis Wolff, USDA, Barack Obama, Michael Taylor, rBGH, (All Tags)

Print Friendly View

Send As Email

Dennis Wolff and the USDA - Update | 9 comments

Well, we have history on our side at least... (4.00 / 3)

Much like Interior Secretary will always go to somebody from the West, it appears that there has only been one Secretary of Agriculture from east of Indiana, and that guy was from West Virginia and only served for a few months under Calvin Coolidge.

I'd suggest he appoint someone from Oregon. Ahem...

So anyways - he'd be breaking a longtime apparent 'code' for that office by appointing someone from Pennsylvania.

Cold comfort, I know. But at least it's something...

Hopefully we'll get someone decent, but I mean...well, I never really expected any radical change from the same campaign that brought on an anti-labor WalMart shill as economic policy director -

As the company became a pariah in Democratic circles, Mr. Furman stepped out on the issue in 2005 by publishing a 16-page paper titled, "Wal-Mart: A Progressive Success Story." He argued that the huge cost savings the company has delivered to its customers, who tend to have low incomes, far outweighed any impact the chain may have had on wages.

Is this Furman guy kidding me? Talk about not being able to see the forest for the fucking trees...

by: JayinPortland @ Wed Dec 03, 2008 at 01:46:30 AM CST

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Jill, an action diary on the big orange will be read by many. (4.00 / 3)

Jay, you have my vote for SoAg!

Sic Transit Gloria Locavore!

by: Asinus Asinum Fricat @ Wed Dec 03, 2008 at 06:02:40 AM CST

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Thanks! (4.00 / 2)

Jay, you have my vote for SoAg!

Here's my plan -

I'd take Ag Secretary and then immediately step down as soon as I was sure that Jill could take over; and then I'd move on to Interior Secretary, which would always be my first choice. I'd set up my "office" somewhere on the High Plains of Eastern Wyoming, and dedicate my time to destroying the Coal Cabal.

And as soon as I did that, well...I'd retire to a few Front Range acres with a vegetable garden, a view, a dog, 2 cats and a girl.

by: JayinPortland @ Wed Dec 03, 2008 at 07:00:37 AM CST

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Don't forget to appoint me...I'll take ...FDA or sumethin' (4.00 / 2)

Sic Transit Gloria Locavore!

by: Asinus Asinum Fricat @ Wed Dec 03, 2008 at 15:47:58 PM CST

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

hmm (4.00 / 1)

can i join ya there in that office? I'm thinking solar panels and a herd of bison.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

by: Jill Richardson @ Wed Dec 03, 2008 at 17:03:24 PM CST

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Absolutely... (0.00 / 0)

Would love to have ya!

And the solar panels could power the brewery that would certainly be on premises. For that matter, I'd probably bring one of the brewmasters from here in Portland with me, as well.

They would head up a new Cabinet position - Secretary of Craft Beer!

by: JayinPortland @ Thu Dec 04, 2008 at 03:06:04 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Wolff is exactly what his name implies (4.00 / 3)

Hi, Jill! This JeremiahRosemont from Daily Kos. Not sure if you remember me, but I love your blog.

For this who are interested, here's some background on his "anti-organic, no labeling for dairy" initiatives:

http://www.politicalfriendster...

A money quote:

"Consumers are getting confused with the extra labels. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is not in a position to say use rBST or not. The key word is 'choice.' If producers are asked to give up a production efficiency, and if that efficiency nets them $3,000 or $10,000 a year for their dairy farm... That's a lot of money. That's money for insurance premiums or groceries. I would hate to see a safe and approved management tool taken away. What we oppose is the negative advertising or the selling of fear. All milk is healthy milk. Our milk is a safe product." -- Mike Wolff

And this from Chews Wise is choice:

http://www.chewswise.com/chews...

This guy isn't going to foster a good relationship between the USDA and the organic community (not will Peterson, or Stenholm). The problematic relationship between Barbara Robinson and the industry she's supposed to be administering too needs to be undone, scrapped, repaired.

All these dudes are making Vilsack look awesome. Tom at least knew what the organic industry is!

More here

http://www.fairfoodfight.com/b...

We won't throw the first punch, but...okay, maybe we'll throw the first punch.

by: El Dragón @ Wed Dec 03, 2008 at 15:44:53 PM CST

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

thanks - good one (4.00 / 1)

yes, they DO make Vilsack look good. Stenholm's bad news, you are right, and he's still in the running so far as I know. And I LOVE political friendster. Between that site and sourcewatch I learn so much.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

by: Jill Richardson @ Wed Dec 03, 2008 at 17:04:40 PM CST

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Is Stenholm for real? (4.00 / 1)

Isn't he always mentioned for USDA?

Wolff is the first name floated by Team Obama who absolutely demoralizes me. We're never going to change the culture at the NOP with Wolff at the helm.

We won't throw the first punch, but...okay, maybe we'll throw the first punch.

by: El Dragón @ Wed Dec 03, 2008 at 19:31:53 PM CST

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Dennis Wolff and the USDA - Update | 9 comments