Bishop, despite past conflict, endorses Harden nomination
July 23, 2013 | 10:51 PM
Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga., and Krysta Harden, President Barack Obama’s nominee to be the Agriculture deputy secretary, proved today that time does indeed heal all wounds in politics.
At a Senate Agriculture Committee confirmation hearing for Harden and for Robert Bonnie to be the Agriculture undersecretary for natural resources and environment, Bishop presented Harden to the committee as his district constituent, and talked about how much he liked working with her.
Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga.
Harden, Bishop said, “was born and raised on a peanut farm. She still refers to herself as a Georgia farm girl.”
He also noted that in her position as Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s assistant secretary for congressional relations and chief of staff, she had helped the Congressional Black Caucus with the settlement of the black farmer discrimination cases against the Agriculture Department and with problems that black farmers have had with Farm Service Agency offices.
Harden returned the compliments, noting that she was from Camilla, Ga., and had enjoyed working with Bishop.
But what neither mentioned was that in a 1992 Democratic runoff election, Bishop defeated Democratic Rep. Charles Hatcher, who had been Harden’s boss and is now her husband.
According to documents released today by the Senate Agriculture Committee, Harden started her career in Hatcher’s office as a receptionist in 1981 and rose to become his chief of staff before becoming staff director of the House Agriculture Peanuts and Tobacco Subcommittee in 1991.
In 1992, following the 1990 Census, Georgia’s second district was reconfigured into a black-majority district and Hatcher, who is white, failed to reach the 50 percent threshold in a six-way primary.
According to the Almanac of American Politics, Bishop ran against Hatcher in the runoff, pointing out that Hatcher had more than 800 check overdrafts in the House bank scandal that was a factor in that year’s elections.
Bishop won 53 percent of the vote and went on to win the general election.
While Bishop testified to Harden’s merits, Hatcher sat in the audience.
Krysta Harden
In her formal presentation, Harden said, “I am a product of rural America. Even during my time in Washington I consider Georgia home.”
She added that when she was growing up, “I did not see opportunity in rural Georgia.” Too many young rural people today, she said, still face the lack of opportunity, and she is determined to use the powers of the Agriculture Department to change the situation.
Harden said that, as deputy, she would “grow existing markets and create new ones, open new doors around the world for quality U.S. products” and also increase farmers’ markets and food hubs in the United States that can help the new generation of farmers who want to grow organic crops and sell products locally.
She added that she believes the United States is “on the cutting edge of conservation” and pledged to build the bio-based economy and usher in a new era of civil rights at the Agriculture Department.
Under questioning from the senators, Harden said that the biggest challenge she has faced at USDA has been the uncertainty of budgets and the need to motivate employees in the midst of that uncertainty. That experience and her role in implementation of the 2008 farm bill would help her performance as deputy secretary, she said.
Harden also promised Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Thad Cochran, R-Miss., that on the long-term delay in implementation of catfish inspection rules in the 2008 farm bill, “I will work with you on a path forward on this issue this year.”
Rep. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., also noted that Colorado catfish producers are interested in the issue.
Harden also told Sen. Joe Donnelley, D-Ind., that she expects a decision on the regulation of dicamba “late this summer.”
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said the committee was “impressed” with both nominees and later told reporters that she hopes the committee can vote on the nominations so that they can be considered by the full Senate before August 2 when the Senate is scheduled to leave Washington until September 9.
At a Senate Agriculture Committee confirmation hearing for Harden and for Robert Bonnie to be the Agriculture undersecretary for natural resources and environment, Bishop presented Harden to the committee as his district constituent, and talked about how much he liked working with her.
Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga.
Harden, Bishop said, “was born and raised on a peanut farm. She still refers to herself as a Georgia farm girl.”
He also noted that in her position as Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s assistant secretary for congressional relations and chief of staff, she had helped the Congressional Black Caucus with the settlement of the black farmer discrimination cases against the Agriculture Department and with problems that black farmers have had with Farm Service Agency offices.
Harden returned the compliments, noting that she was from Camilla, Ga., and had enjoyed working with Bishop.
But what neither mentioned was that in a 1992 Democratic runoff election, Bishop defeated Democratic Rep. Charles Hatcher, who had been Harden’s boss and is now her husband.
According to documents released today by the Senate Agriculture Committee, Harden started her career in Hatcher’s office as a receptionist in 1981 and rose to become his chief of staff before becoming staff director of the House Agriculture Peanuts and Tobacco Subcommittee in 1991.
In 1992, following the 1990 Census, Georgia’s second district was reconfigured into a black-majority district and Hatcher, who is white, failed to reach the 50 percent threshold in a six-way primary.
According to the Almanac of American Politics, Bishop ran against Hatcher in the runoff, pointing out that Hatcher had more than 800 check overdrafts in the House bank scandal that was a factor in that year’s elections.
Bishop won 53 percent of the vote and went on to win the general election.
While Bishop testified to Harden’s merits, Hatcher sat in the audience.
Krysta Harden
In her formal presentation, Harden said, “I am a product of rural America. Even during my time in Washington I consider Georgia home.”
She added that when she was growing up, “I did not see opportunity in rural Georgia.” Too many young rural people today, she said, still face the lack of opportunity, and she is determined to use the powers of the Agriculture Department to change the situation.
Harden said that, as deputy, she would “grow existing markets and create new ones, open new doors around the world for quality U.S. products” and also increase farmers’ markets and food hubs in the United States that can help the new generation of farmers who want to grow organic crops and sell products locally.
She added that she believes the United States is “on the cutting edge of conservation” and pledged to build the bio-based economy and usher in a new era of civil rights at the Agriculture Department.
Under questioning from the senators, Harden said that the biggest challenge she has faced at USDA has been the uncertainty of budgets and the need to motivate employees in the midst of that uncertainty. That experience and her role in implementation of the 2008 farm bill would help her performance as deputy secretary, she said.
Harden also promised Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Thad Cochran, R-Miss., that on the long-term delay in implementation of catfish inspection rules in the 2008 farm bill, “I will work with you on a path forward on this issue this year.”
Rep. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., also noted that Colorado catfish producers are interested in the issue.
Harden also told Sen. Joe Donnelley, D-Ind., that she expects a decision on the regulation of dicamba “late this summer.”
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said the committee was “impressed” with both nominees and later told reporters that she hopes the committee can vote on the nominations so that they can be considered by the full Senate before August 2 when the Senate is scheduled to leave Washington until September 9.
