Heitkamp
North Dakota Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp recently met with President-elect Trump and remains as a potential cabinet pick. Politico’s Morning Agriculture Report says that doesn’t mean she’s ready to rubber-stamp Scott Pruitt, the Oklahoma Attorney General Trump has nominated to take over as Chief of the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt isn’t a believer in climate change and isn’t a fan of the Renewable Fuels Standard, which Heitkamp says, “Gives her pause.” Heitkamp does share Trump’s concerns regarding over-regulation, but she “also wants clean air and water. If we’re going to have an EPA administrator who understands rural America, that means they also have to understand the needs of farmers and want to support those farmers.” Senate Ag Committee Ranking Democrat Debbie Stabenow of Michigan is also skeptical of Pruitt. “We were promised a farmer-friendly EPA by President-elect Trump, yet his nominee wants to upend one of the most successful drivers in rural America.” Stabenow adds that this appears to be the President-elect saying one thing to the American public and doing something else.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.