SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Still no head of the U.S. Agriculture Department, an agency with an annual budget of $150 billion, and South Dakota Congresswoman Kristi Noem says it's because of available time on the Senate floor.
Noem says there's been no holdups, or complications, for Trump's Ag Secretary pick, former Georgia governor Sonny Perdue.
She says Perdue was one of the President's last cabinet picks and she expects the Senate is going through a regular order process in getting the confirmation hearings held and put into place.
As for a new farm bill, Noem says the House Ag Committee has held some discussions on policies that need to be included. Noem's priorities include reforming some commodity programs so they provide a better safety net for ag producers.
She also advocates strengthening conservation programs and practices. For instance, she says, in South Dakota there were thousands and thousands of acres offered for the Conservation Reserve Program but only 104 acres were accepted.
She wants to expand that program, make sure that it's one producers can utilize to diversify their operations.
Noem says the Equip Program is critically important to South Dakota ranchers for projects on their operations. She says it's also important to have livestock disaster programs funded and continue the discussion of protecting and maintaining the country's food supply.