Espy Vows to Update Agriculture Dept.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Espy (D-Miss.), the first black and first Southerner ever nominated to be secretary of agriculture, pledged at his confirmation hearing Thursday to modernize the 128-year-old department and make it “farmer-friendly.”

Senators across the political spectrum--from liberal Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin to conservative North Carolina Republican Jesse Helms--strongly endorsed Espy’s nomination.

“You’re the right man at the right time for the Department of Agriculture,” Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, told the 39-year-old nominee.

While his approval seems assured, Espy acknowledged that some of his reports to the Federal Election Commission on campaign spending were marred by careless bookkeeping, leading to extensive questioning by the FBI recently.

Records compiled by his brother, Tom, appeared to show that he was improperly receiving payments from a campaign fund by billing it for expenses that already had been paid, Espy said.

But he told the Senate committee that he never received anything other than actual reimbursement for the expenses, which were for trips to make political speeches.

“I attribute it to mismanagement,” Espy said. “I never checked them (FEC reports) closely. . . . I was embarrassed. . . . I learned a lot from that.”

Espy said that his brother was hired to raise campaign funds, run a computer center and submit the congressman’s reports to the FEC. “I love him--but he is not an accountant,” he said.

Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.), the ranking GOP member of the panel, admonished Espy to choose a “strong administrative team” for the Agriculture Department to make sure that such incidents do not occur there.

The three-term Mississippi lawmaker assured the Senate panel that he would attempt to streamline the department, with its 112,000 employees scattered in 14,000 offices across the nation and abroad.

“We ought to streamline it from top to bottom,” said Espy, who added that he would begin his cost-cutting moves in the Washington headquarters. “The agency will be modernized and made farmer-friendly.”

Espy said that he hopes to simplify government forms and provide access to Agriculture Department officials by personal computer.

Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-Wis.) said that federal milk marketing orders are outmoded and asked Espy what he thinks about them.

The marketing order system regulates the flow of farm products to the market. Separate marketing orders exist for each product covered.

“I am on record in favor of marketing orders,” Espy responded. “I will listen before I make up my mind.”

Espy also promised to advance farmers’ interests in expanding markets for U.S. farm products and to try to earmark more funds for government nutrition programs serving schoolchildren, women and infants. He declared that the economic health of rural America will be one of his top priorities.

Leahy scheduled a vote for Tuesday on the nomination, and no opposition is expected.