Ousted Kansas Rep. Tim Huelskamp needs a new job now that his Congressional term has ended, and conservative groups are backing his bid for agriculture secretary in President-elect Donald Trumps cabinet.
“There is no one better suited to serve as the next secretary of Agriculture than Rep. Huelskamp,”Adam Brandon, CEO of FreedomWorks, a conservative advocacy group told The Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement.
“[Huelskamp] understands the needs of America’s farmers, but he also realizes the failures of prevailing agriculture policy that prevails in Congress,” Brandon said.
The next Congress will have to work with Trump’s administration to write and pass the next Farm bill in 2018, which authorizes spending on everything from farm subsidies and safety net payments to food stamps. With Huelskamp at the helm of the Department of Agriculture, Republicans would hope for a change from the “corporate welfare” of crop subsidies.
“Farm bills passed by Congress promote a culture of cronyism and corporate welfare that must end,” Brandon said. “Rep. Huelskamp stood up to these big government policies, and the Washington political elite sought a pound of flesh.”
Huelskamp was defeated in the Kansas primary this election cycle by Republican Roger Marshall, whom the House Freedom Caucus called the “establishment” candidate. House Freedom Caucus leadership, of which Huelskamp was a member, are also supporting his bid for a cabinet spot.
“Picking Rep. Huelskamp to serve in this role would be yet another sign that President-elect Trump will ‘drain the swamp’ and promote a common sense agriculture policy,” Brandon said.
Huelskamp sent his resume to the Trump transition team hoping to get a nod as agriculture, the former Representative told The Daily Caller Nov. 16.
“I’m certainly not an establishment guy, but I think I have the type of policy experience and I’m outside the establishment that fits in with what Donald Trump said he wanted to do in the campaign,” Huelskamp said.
If nominated, Huelskamp told The DCNF that he would “be honored to use my business background, education and legislative experience to reform the USDA for President Donald Trump.”
“With a $150 billion budget, nearly 100,000 employees and a presence in almost every county, real change at the USDA can be a catalyst for making America great again. And doing so requires a Secretary with a proven drive to challenge the status quo,” Huelskamp said.
Agriculture groups are anxious to find out who Trump will nominate as chief agriculture administrator, but the president-elect has not given many hints about his favorite for the position.
Editor’s Note: This post has been updated with comments from Rep. Huelskamp.
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