President Joe Biden’s nominees for the key posts at the Agriculture Department and Commodity Futures Trading Commission will advance toward Senate confirmation as soon as next week, a key senator said Wednesday.
Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and ranking member John Boozman (R-Ark.) both backed Basil Gooden, the nominee for USDA undersecretary for rural development, and Summer Mersinger, renominated for a CFTC commissioner post. Gooden is a former Virginia secretary of agriculture and forestry; Mersinger was a long-time aide to Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.).
Both were approved by the agriculture committee by unanimous vote Wednesday.
“I hope we can move ...
