THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 28, 1994 TAG: 9412280442
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
President Clinton will name outgoing Rep. Dan Glickman of Kansas as the new secretary of agriculture in a White House ceremony Wednesday, administration officials said Tuesday.
Glickman, 50, will replace Mike Espy, who will resign at the end of the year under an ethical cloud. White House aides said last week that Clinton had settled on Glickman but they left open the possibility the president would change his mind.
Officials said Tuesday the announcement would be made at a 10 a.m. ceremony joined by Vice President Al Gore.
Glickman is receiving the appointment despite his vote against the new world trade pact of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, which the administration supported as boosting U.S. farm exports. Glickman said he voted against GATT in order to fulfill a campaign promise, even though the vote on the agreement took place after his upset defeat by Todd Tiahrt.
As a nine-term Democratic congressman with three farm bills behind him, Glickman brings valuable experience as Congress goes about writing the 1995 legislation and crafting a 1996 budget that will require cuts in farm spending.
His detailed knowledge of farm programs will enable Glickman to make cuts and program changes in the least harmful ways, said Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., who will be the ranking Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
``The thing is to make sure that what is left is spent in the best way,'' said Leahy.
In getting the post, Glickman edged past Deputy Secretary Richard E. Rominger, a former California director of agriculture, and Rep. E. ``Kika'' de la Garza, D-Texas, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee until the Republican victory in the November elections demoted him to ranking Democrat.
Glickman had support from an important friend, White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta, a former colleague on the Agriculture Committee.
The announcement is the only scheduled event this week for Clinton, who is suppose to be taking time off.
But he was in the Oval Office Tuesday afternoon as aides put out the word that Glickman was his choice.
As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Glickman fought to focus farm subsidy programs on low- and middle-income farmers and tried to increase federal oversight of the commodity futures markets.
In addition to work on the farm bills, he engineered the 1989 bill that brought disaster relief to drought-stricken farmers. MEMO: DAN GLICKMAN
Age: 50, born Nov. 24, 1944, Wichita, Kan.
Education: Bachelor's degree, University of Michigan; law degree,
Georgetown University.
Career: Practicing attorney, 1969-76; president, Wichita Board of
Education, 1973-76.
Political: Democrat, first elected to Congress 1976. Served nine
terms before defeat in November general election.
Personal: Married, wife Rhoda; religion, Jewish.
ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Dan Glickman, 50, of Kansas will replace Mike Espy, who will resign
at the end of the year under an ethical cloud.
by CNB