Spirit Lake, Iowa — The Spirit Lake farmer who serves as Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture hasn’t directly addressed a senator’s “hold” on his nomination for a job in the USDA.
But Bill Northey indirectly mentioned it during a recent speech at an Iowa Republican Party fundraiser.
Northey was first elected as Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture in 2006 and he won reelection in 2010 and 2014. Northey thanked his fellow Republicans for supporting his first leap into politics nearly 12 years ago.
Northey finished less than three percent ahead of his Republican opponent in 2006. He was the only Republican to win statewide elected office that year. On September 1st of this year, President Trump nominated Northey to be the USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation. Texas Senator Ted Cruz is blocking a vote on Northey’s nomination. The move is tied to the senator’s request that President Trump meet with oil-state senators who oppose federal production mandates for ethanol and biodiesel.
