The New York Times-20080129-New Agriculture Secretary- -Brief-

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New Agriculture Secretary; [Brief]

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The Senate confirmed Ed Schafer, a businessman and former two-term governor of North Dakota, as secretary of agriculture. Mr. Schafer, left, will be in charge of deadlocked negotiations with Congress over a five-year farm bill. The administration says the bill must deny crop subsidies to the wealthiest Americans and not raise taxes. Lawmakers say that without new revenue, they cannot pay for expansions of food stamp, land stewardship and biofuel programs. Mr. Schafer succeeds Mike Johans, who resigned in September to run for the Senate in Nebraska.

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