[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 49 (Monday, December 6, 2004)]
[Pages 2893-2894]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on the Nomination of Governor Mike Johanns To Be Secretary of 
Agriculture

December 2, 2004

    The President. Thank you all. Good morning.
    I am pleased to announce my nomination of Governor Mike Johanns to 
be the Secretary of Agriculture.

[[Page 2894]]

    Governor Johanns. Thank you, Mr. President.
    The President. Governor Johanns is an experienced public service--
servant from America's agricultural heartland. As the son of Iowa dairy 
farmers, he grew up close to the land. He will bring to this position a 
lifetime of involvement in agriculture and a long record of a faithful 
friend to America's farmers and ranchers. He will lead an important 
agency with the executive skill he has learned as mayor and as a two-
term Governor of Nebraska.
    I've known Mike for a number of years, going back to my own service 
as a Governor. I know firsthand his deep commitment to a strong farm 
economy. He's been a leader on drought relief in Nebraska and throughout 
the Midwest. He's a strong proponent of alternative energy sources such 
as ethanol and biodiesel. He's traveled the world to promote American 
farm exports.
    Governor Johanns is a man of action and of complete integrity. He 
knows how to bring people together to achieve results. He has been a 
superb leader for the people of Nebraska, and I'm grateful that he's 
agreed to take on this important new responsibility in my Cabinet.
    Governor Johanns. Thank you, Mr. President.
    The President. I'm grateful as well to Secretary of Agriculture Ann 
Veneman for leading the Department of Agriculture these past 4 years. 
Secretary Veneman has earned the trust of farmers and ranchers across 
America, and the whole Nation has benefited from her service. Ann played 
a central role in passing the 2002 farm bill, which has been critical to 
the success of our farmers.
    She's kept our Nation's commitment to fighting hunger and is 
overseeing major improvements in school nutrition programs. Ann led our 
efforts to prevent the spread of mad cow disease and worked hard to 
secure the food supply against the threat of bioterrorism. And she has 
helped set in motion an incredibly important effort to maintain the 
health of our forests and protect the lives and property from 
devastating wildfires.
    I chose Ann Veneman for her great expertise, her sound judgment, and 
her bipartisan spirit, and she has displayed those qualities every day 
of her tenure. Ann has also carried out her duties while facing serious 
illness, and for that she's earned my increased admiration and the 
respect of her fellow citizens. I'm proud to know her, and I thank her 
for serving our country.
    The policies we've pursued over the last 4 years have revived 
America's economies and have helped our farmers and ranchers earn 
greater income and to sell record amounts of food and fiber abroad. In a 
new term, we'll continue policies that are pro-growth, pro-jobs, and 
pro-farmer. We'll keep working to open new markets to American grain and 
beef and cotton and corn. We'll enforce trade laws to make sure other 
countries play by the rules. We will expand conservation programs to 
help farmers and to protect our soil and water and wildlife.
    We will stand behind family farmers by keeping taxes low and 
ensuring the Federal death tax is repealed permanently. And when 
confirmed by the Senate, Mike Johanns will lead a Department of 113,000 
dedicated public servants and be a champion of the farmers and ranchers 
who feed America and the world beyond.
    I am grateful to Mike and to Stephanie, his wife, for their 
willingness to come to Washington. I look forward to welcoming Mike to 
my Cabinet.
    Congratulations. I appreciate you.
    Governor Johanns. Thank you very much.
    The President. You bet, Mike.

[At this point, Governor Johanns made brief remarks.]

    The President. Good job.
    Governor Johanns. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 11:42 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House. The transcript released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary also included the remarks of Governor Johanns.