Ed Schafer

Infobox US Cabinet official
name = Edward Thomas Schafer

Edward Thomas "Ed" Schafer (born August 8 1946), is the 29th United States Secretary of Agriculture. He was nominated by President Bush on October 31, 2007cite press release |title=President Bush Nominates Ed Schafer for Secretary of Agriculture |publisher=White House |date=2007-10-31 |url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/10/20071031-9.html |format= |language= |accessdate=2008-01-25 ] and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on January 28, 2008cite press release |title=Harkin Congratulates New Agriculture Secretary; Looks to Him to Make Farm Bill A Reality |publisher=U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry |date=2008-01-28 |url=http://216.40.253.202/~usscanf/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1664&Itemid=72 |format= |language= |accessdate=2008-01-28 |quote=Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today issued the following statement after the Senate confirmed former North Dakota Governor Edward Schafer as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ] . Before taking up his current post, Secretary Schafer served as the Governor of North Dakota from 1992 to 2000.

Biography

Schafer was born and raised in Bismarck, North Dakota, and is the son of businessman Harold Schafer. His sister, Pam Schafer, was the first wife of Democratic U.S. Senator Kent Conrad. [http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1007/103107cdpm2.htm]

His educational background includes a bachelor's degree from the University of North Dakota, where he was a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity, and an M.B.A. from the University of Denver. Following graduation, he went to work at the Gold Seal Company, a North Dakota-based manufacturing company owned by his father, eventually serving as company president from 1978 to 1985.

He is married to the former Nancy Jones and has two children: Tom Schafer and Ellie Schafer; and two stepchildren: Eric Jones and Kari Jones. He is the first North Dakota Governor to be married while in office.

Governor of North Dakota

In 1990, Schafer unsuccessfully challenged then-U.S. Congressman Byron Dorgan's reelection bid capturing 35% of the vote, to Dorgan's 65%. He was elected as North Dakota's 30th Governor in 1992, and subsequently won reelection in 1996. He did not seek reelection in 2000. During his final year in office, he served as Chairman of the Republican Governors Association.

In 2004, he declined to run for United States Senate against Democrat Byron Dorgan despite calls from national Republican leaders including President George W. Bush.

In 2002, Schafer was appointed as Civilian Aide to the United States Secretary of the Army. He also appeared in 2003 with his team, The High Flyers, as a contestant in the American TV Series Junkyard Wars. As of 2006, Schafer is currently CEO of Extend America, a start-up wireless communications company. He is a frequent guest host of the "Hot Talk" program on WDAY-AM in Fargo, North Dakota. Since fall 2006, Schafer has also served as an advisor and sometimes spokesperson for the North Dakota chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a nationwide limited-government/pro-growth organization.

ecretary of Agriculture

On October 31, 2007 Schafer was nominated by President Bush to be the next Secretary of Agriculture. His hearing was originally scheduled for January 30, 2008, but was moved to January 24 on the request of North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad so that Schafer could attend the State of the Union address as a cabinet member [Jalonick, Mary Clare. " [http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2008/01/12/news/state/146407.txt Schafer hearing to be held] ". AP. 2008-01-12. Accessed 2008-01-25. "I was talking to Gov. Schafer, and he said it'd be nice if he could be confirmed earlier so he could go to the State of the Union address as a member of the president's cabinet," Conrad said. "That's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."] . The hearing was held on January 24; it was friendly [Pates, Mikkel. " [http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/articles/index.cfm?id=13732&section=news Schafer gets a warm reception in Washington] ". Grand Forks Herald. 2008-01-25. Accessed 2008-01-25. "Schafer, who served as North Dakota governor from 1992 to 2000, made it through a decidedly friendly Senate Agriculture Committee confirmation hearing Thursday on Capitol Hill."] , with Senators asking Gov. Schafer questions on various topics such as US beef exports to Japan and South Korea, the Department of Agriculture's ability to deliver on programs passed by Congress, policy on sugar, and cotton prices [ Tonneson, Lon. " [http://dakotafarmer.com/index.aspx?ascxid=fpStory&fpsid=31906&fpstid=2 Senate Ag Committee Quizzes Schafer] ". Dakota Farmer. 2008-01-25. Accessed 2008-01-25."] . On January 28, he was confirmed by the U.S. Senatecite news |first=Mary Clare |last=Jalonick |title=Senate Confirms Secretary of Agriculture |publisher=AP |date=2008-01-28 |url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iV1IiNGrgUJu0ySqikhuYGjDF4LgD8UF4AVO0 |format= |language= |accessdate=2008-01-28 ] .

Schafer was in office just several days when a major scandal concerning cruelty and unsafe food erupted in the wake of an investigation of the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company by the Humane Society of the United States. In late February, in testimony before a subcommittee of the Senate Agriculture Committee, he took the position that there was no need for a ban on downed cattle in the food supply. [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/28/AR2008022804117.html USDA Rejects 'Downer' Cow Ban - washingtonpost.com ] ]

Electoral history

*1996 Race for Governor
**Ed Schafer (R) (inc.), 66%
**Lee Kaldor (D), 34%
*1992 Race for Governor
**Ed Schafer (R), 58%
**Nick Spaeth (D), 41%
*1990 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - At Large
**Byron Dorgan (D) (inc.), 65%
**Ed Schafer (R), 35%

References

External links

* [http://www.hpj.com/archives/2007/nov07/nov12/MeetthenomineeforSecretaryo.cfm?login=true High Plains Journal Article on Ed Schafer]
* [http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=bios_schafer.xml USDA biography of Secretary Schafer]

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
before=George A. Sinner
title=Governor of North Dakota
years=1992ndash 2000
after=John HoevenU.S. Secretary box
before= Mike Johanns
after=
start= 2008
president= George W. Bush
department= Secretary of Agriculture