CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. – U.S. agriculture secretary Ann Veneman is on the road frequently this fall, often in states vital to president George Bush’s re-election, talking about rising U.S. demand for corn-based ethanol and the certainty of another year of high farm income.
The speeches at farm implement shows and county fairs highlight the resurgent agricultural economy, good news ahead of the November election. If Bush wins, they may help keep Veneman as a member of cabinet.
As the first woman to head the agriculture department, Veneman gets high grades from lawmakers and farm groups for a speedy response to the discovery of the first U.S. case of BSE nearly a year ago. The administration strengthened safeguards against the fatal cattle disease and is trying to rebuild beef exports.
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“Everybody respects Ann because of her knowledge on trade and food safety. That will be her legacy,” said Pat Roberts, a Kansas Republican senator and longtime farm policy leader.
Veneman’s sure-footed handling of the BSE crisis quieted the criticism of her early months in office, when the administration was out of step with Congress on the cost and direction of the 2002 farm subsidy law.
But there were two missteps this year. The USDA had to backtrack on imports of Canadian beef that it quietly allowed despite originally saying they were banned. And meat safety officials failed to test a 12-year-old cow in Texas in April, although it showed symptoms of BSE.
Consumer groups and some lawmakers criticized the slips. Representative Earl Pomeroy, a North Dakota Democrat, called USDA’s handling of Canadian imports “a very serious breach” of the public trust.
If Democratic candidate John Kerry wins the White House in November’s election, commonly mentioned as possible successors are representatives Charles Stenholm of Texas, Democratic leader on the House agriculture committee, and Cal Dooley of California.
Veneman spoke at Wisconsin Farm Technology Days during a week in late September that began at the United Nations and included a research show in Ohio en route to the show north of Chippewa Falls.
She has announced $673 million US in grants and loans for biofuel research, hurricane relief, school nutrition classes, rural internet access and public utility projects during appearances in California, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington state since Aug. 1.
The largest announcement, made at the farm show, was $409.5 million in loans for rural electric projects in 15 states.
Aides say her trips are official business, not campaign appearances.
