[Senate Hearing 108-086]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 108-086
NOMINATION OF VERNON B. PARKER, OF
ARIZONA, TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE,
NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
MARCH 20, 2003
__________
Printed for the use of the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.agriculture.senate.gov
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COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY
THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi, Chairman
RICHARD G. LUGAR, Indiana TOM HARKIN, Iowa
MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont
PAT ROBERTS, Kansas KENT CONRAD, North Dakota
PETER G. FITZGERALD, Illinois THOMAS A. DASCHLE, South Dakota
SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Georgia MAX BAUCUS, Montana
NORM COLEMAN, Minnesota BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, Arkansas
MICHEAL D. CRAPO, Idaho ZELL MILLER, Georgia
JAMES M. TALENT, Missouri DEBBIE A. STABENOW, Michigan
ELIZABETH DOLE, North Carolina E. BENJAMIN NELSON, Nebraska
CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, Iowa MARK DAYTON, Minnesota
Hunt Shipman, Majority Staff Director
David L. Johnson, Majority Chief Counsel
Lance Kotschwar, Majortiy General Counsel
Robert E. Sturm, Chief Clerk
Mark Halverson, Minority Staff Director
(ii)
C O N T E N T S
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Page
Hearing(s):
Nomination Hearing for Vernon B. Parker, of Arizona, to be
Assistant
Secretary of Agriculture for Civil Rights...................... 01
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Thursday, March 20, 2003
STATEMENTS PRESENTED BY SENATORS
Cochran, Hon. Thad, a U.S. Senator from Mississippi, Chairman,
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.............. 01
Harkin, Hon. Tom, a U.S. Senator from Iowa, Ranking Member,
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.............. 07
Dole, Hon. Elizabeth, a U.S. Senator from North Carolina......... 03
Kyl, Hon. Kyl, a U.S. Senator from Arizona....................... 01
McCain, Hon. John, a U.S. Senator from Arizona................... 02
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WITNESSES
Parker, Vernon B., of Paradise Valley, Arizona, to be Assistant
Secretary of Agriculture for Civil Rights...................... 04
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APPENDIX
Prepared Statements:
Leahy, Hon. Patrick.......................................... 17
Lincoln, Hon. Blanche........................................ 16
Parker, Vernon B............................................. 18
Rural Coalition/Coalicion Rural and the Federation of Southern
Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund(retained in the Committee
files).........................................................
Document(s) Submitted for the Record:
Baucus, Hon. Max............................................. 23
Lugar, Hon. Richard.......................................... 22
Parker, Vernon B., (Biographical Information)................ 25
Questions and Answers:
Baucus, Hon. Max............................................. 55
Dayton, Hon. Mark............................................ 59
Harkin, Hon. Tom............................................. 44
Leahy, Hon. Patrick.......................................... 53
Lincoln, Hon. Blanche........................................ 50
NOMINATION OF VERNON B. PARKER, OF
ARIZONA, TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
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THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2003
U.S. Senate,
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry,
Washington, DC.
The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:33 a.m., in
room SR-328A, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Thad
Cochran, [Chairman of the Committee], presiding.
Present or submitting a statement: Senators Cochran, Dole,
Grassley, Harkin, Leahy, and Lincoln.
STATEMENT OF HON. THAD COCHRAN, A U.S. SENATOR FROM
MISSISSIPPI, CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND
FORESTRY
The Chairman. The committee will please come to order.
This morning we are conducting a hearing on the nomination
of Mr. Vernon Park, who has been nominated by President Bush to
assume the responsibility of Assistant Secretary for Civil
Rights in the Department of Agriculture. This is a position
that was created in the 2002 Farm bill that was passed by
Congress and signed by the President.
I am pleased to notice that we have Senator Jon Kyl, who is
here with Mr. Parker. Senator Kyl is from Arizona; Mr. Parker
is from Arizona. Before we proceed any further, Senator Kyl, we
will recognize you for any introductory comments that you would
like to make.
STATEMENT OF HON. JON KYL, A U.S. SENATOR FROM ARIZONA
Senator Kyl. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. That
is kind. I will make a couple of remarks, and then at your
pleasure will excuse myself to go to a briefing.
It is a real privilege for me to introduce to my friends on
the committee here another friend from Arizona, Vernon Parker,
who has distinguished himself as an Arizonan and I know will
distinguish himself here in Washington, D.C.
He is a lawyer, a community leader, a public servant. A
little bit about his background: he graduated from Georgetown
Law School and while there was editor of the American Criminal
Law Review. He rapidly rose after his graduation to the
position of general counsel at the Office of Personnel
Management. He has also served as special assistant to
President Bush I, a role that required him to oversee more than
300 Presidential boards and commissions. Since he moved to
Arizona, Vernon Parker has achieved further distinction as a
business leader, first as a consultant, and then as president
and CEO of Scottsdale-based Bel Sante International.
Throughout, he has maintained a high-level involvement in
community organizations and, I might also mention, some
involvement in politics.
Most recently, he served as interim pastor of his church,
the Calvary Church of Valley in Paradise Valley, and I just
want to say that his legal skills and his dedication to equal
opportunity will permit him to excel as Assistant Secretary of
Agriculture for Civil Rights. As I said, it is a real privilege
for me to introduce him. I could say much more, but I know in
the interest of brevity that this should suffice.
I personally endorse him for the position and look forward
to his quick confirmation.
The Chairman. Thank you very much, Senator. We appreciate
your being here to say those things about the nominee. We are
pleased to have your statement, and we know you have other
obligations, and you are certainly free to return to those.
Senator Kyl. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The Chairman. Thank you.
We are also pleased to have before the committee this
morning Senator John McCain, the other Senator from Arizona. We
appreciate your being here, Senator, to make any opening
comments or remarks about Mr. Vernon Parker that you would care
to make. Welcome.
STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN McCAIN, A U.S. SENATOR FROM ARIZONA
Senator McCain. I thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I thank my
colleague and friend, Senator Kyl, for his remarks. I very
rarely elaborate on his statements since he covers everything
usually completely. I would like to add my strong support to
Vernon Parker who is a proud--we are proud that he is a
resident of Paradise Valley, Arizona, but most importantly, we
are proud of his record of commitment to community and public
service and improving the lives of children. His dedication to
public service is certainly demonstrated by his willingness to
assume this position.
He has been in the Office of Personnel Management, served
in the first Bush administration. He is also an entrepreneur,
serving as president and CEO of Bel Sante International, LLC.
I am proud of this young man. I am pleased that the
President has nominated him for this very important position.
We know how important this position and these issues are to all
of us that he will be involved in, and I strongly recommend the
committee's approval. I thank the Chairman and members of the
committee for allowing me to be here.
The Chairman. Thank you very much, Senator. We appreciate
your comments and we respect your views and your service in the
Senate. You are a good friend. We appreciate your coming to the
committee this morning.
Senator McCain. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the
committee.
The Chairman. Mr. Parker, under the rules of the Senate, we
are required to put you under oath before we proceed with the
testimony in the committee. If you will please stand and raise
your right hand. Do you swear or affirm that the testimony you
are about to provide is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. Parker. I do.
The Chairman. Thank you. You may be seated.
Before we proceed with any questions, I want to know if the
distinguished Senators who are here, Senator Grassley, Senator
Dole, have any opening comments or statement for the record? If
you would like to make a statement, please proceed.
Senator Dole. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let me ask Senator
Grassley first, though, as my senior, would you like to make a
statement?
Senator Grassley. It happens on this committee I am your
junior.
[Laughter.]
Senator Grassley. You should go ahead.
Senator Dole. OK.
The Chairman. Senator Dole.
STATEMENT OF HON. ELIZABETH H. DOLE, A U.S. SENATOR FROM NORTH
CAROLINA
Senator Dole. Mr. Chairman, the 107th Congress recognized,
as you mentioned, that it was imperative for the U.S.
Department of Agriculture to have a senior post specifically
dedicated to the issue of civil rights. I favor the action
taken in the 2002 Farm bill to create this post, and I strongly
support the nomination of Vernon Parker to serve in the
capacity as Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.
This job, in my view, requires someone who has a calling
for public service, and it is clear from reviewing Mr. Parker's
background and meeting with him in person that public service
is indeed a calling for him.
He has been involved in a wide range of work and community
service that exemplifies his commitment in this regard.
Additionally, his work in Government at the U.S. Office of
Personnel Management and his practice of law in the private
sector, his work as a pastor illustrate his versatility and
ability to bridge different areas of expertise.
This, in my opinion, makes Mr. Parker uniquely qualified
for this post. Make no mistake, this job requires someone who
can bring people together, someone who can bridge differences.
Mr. Parker has the background and experience to do that,
and I am confident that he will work to keep the Department
focused on our commitment to ensuring equality for all of those
who seek the services of USDA.
Mr. Chairman, I commend Secretary Veneman for her work to
address the numerous civil rights issues with which the
Department has been confronted in recent years. The swift
confirmation of Mr. Parker will allow the Department to make
significant progress in this important area. His strength of
character, experience, and temperament will make him an
extraordinary asset to the Department of Agriculture. I urge my
colleagues to support Mr. Parker's nomination for this
important post.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The Chairman. Thank you, Senator.
Senator Grassley, any opening statement you would care to
make?
Senator Grassley. No.
The Chairman. At this point in the record, we will include
the prepared statement of Senator Leahy.
[The prepared statement of Senator Leahy can be found in
the appendix on page 17.]
The Chairman. The Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights is
charged with the duties of enforcing and ensuring compliance
with all civil rights laws by all agencies and under all
programs of the Department of Agriculture. The mission of the
Office of Civil Rights is to ``facilitate fair and equitable
treatment of USDA customers and the employees and ensure the
delivery and enforcement of civil rights programs and
activities''.
I have had the pleasure of meeting with Mr. Parker and
reviewing his background and his qualifications, and I am very
impressed with his fitness for this position. I look forward to
this hearing where Senators have an opportunity to ask any
questions they might about the qualifications and plans of Mr.
Parker in this new office. He has a distinguished background as
a lawyer, both in Government and in the private sector. He has
served in the Office of Personnel Management as counselor to
the director and then as general counsel, where he helped shape
policies and implement those policies on various issues,
including civil rights.
He has also served as special assistant to the President.
Mr. Parker has credentials as both a community leader and as an
attorney, and he has recently served as pastor in his church.
Mr. Parker, I know that you may have special guests or
family members here with you today, and if you do, please feel
free to introduce them to the committee at this time.
Mr. Parker. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My best friend and my
lovely wife, Lisa; my son, Ian; and a very good friend who
traveled all the way from Scottsdale, Arizona, Mr. Bill
Gresser; and my surrogate brother and sister, Jackie and Kevin
Davis. I have quite a few people here.
The Chairman. Thank you all for being here. We appreciate
your presence.
[Applause.]
The Chairman. Mr. Parker, we will now yield to you for any
opening statement or comments that you would like to make to
the committee. You may proceed.
STATEMENT OF VERNON B. PARKER, OF ARIZONA, TO BE ASSISTANT
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
Mr. Parker. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is indeed a
wonderful day for me. Mr. Chairman and members of this
committee, I would like to begin by stating how proud I am to
be from the great State of Arizona and how fortunate all
Arizonan citizens should be to have two of the finest Senators
to come from the State of Arizona in Senator Kyl and Senator
McCain.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the President and
Secretary Ann Veneman for putting their trust in me and
nominating me for such a challenging position. I would also
like to thank my lovely wife, Lisa, and my son, Ian, for their
undying support while going through this process.
Mr. Chairman, the great theologian Martin Luther once said
that, ``Everything that is done in this world is done by
hope.'' This morning, it is with great hope that I appear
before this committee. My hope lies in that, if confirmed, I
will be able to make a difference in the lives of those who may
have had their hopes or dreams destroyed because of injustice.
Today, there are many people who rely on the Department of
Agriculture. They are honest Americans to whom our society has
decided to lend a hand through Government. This Government lent
me such a hand. As a child, I was a beneficiary of USDA
programs. I still remember lining up in the cafeteria before
school for that hot breakfast. As public servants, it is our
duty to respect the dignity and foster the promises to those
who are touched by Government programs. These are simple and
basic American values.
Unfortunately, Mr. Chairman, at times, obstacles get in the
way of these values. Racism and poverty, for example, all too
often work in synergy to rob many people of their hopes and
dreams. If confirmed, it is my intention to work to root out
discriminatory practices as weeds in this garden of democracy.
I will work to develop systems to promote equality of access
and opportunity and work toward the day when the special focus
of this job will become unnecessary because that focus will
have been fully moved to the hearts of every employee within
the Department. In creating this position, you did not take it
lightly, nor will I, if confirmed. I will rely greatly on my
past life and work experiences.
Speaking of those experiences, Mr. Chairman, as a child I
was blessed by a loving extended family, a grandmother, a
mother, and many caring aunts, all of whom instilled in me a
deep faith in God, faith in each other, and a deep belief in
America and its values. As a child, I suffered poverty and felt
the discord of racism. During an unfortunate time in my life,
my family needed Government assistance, and I remember the
embarrassment on my mother's and grandmother's faces when they
could not understand the forms that they had to fill out at the
welfare office just to get food stamps. I saw individuals take
advantage of them because of their lack of sophistication and
because they could not read that well. They were both products
of the segregated South.
Mr. Chairman, I vividly remember them having to ask the
person behind the desk for help when filling out these forms. I
remember the look on their faces when the person helping was
anything but helpful. I remember them questioning whether they
were being treated differently because of their race. They
would always say, ``I bet they would not have talked to me like
that if I were white, or I bet they would have helped me if I
were white.'' More importantly, Mr. Chairman, I remember the
joy on their faces when someone would help, and many times that
person helping would be white. Mostly I remember them telling
me not to judge another person by the color of their skin
because in the end, we will all be judged by our resolve not to
judge others.
It is my understand that today at the Department of
Agriculture there are many people who have been denied or are
being denied services because of the color of their skin or
their gender. These people are just like my mother and my
grandmother, and this is a practice which must be abolished.
Abraham Lincoln some 141 years ago created the People's
Department, today known as the USDA. This same President, 3
years after creating the People's Department, freed a people by
signing the Emancipation Proclamation. There is no agency in
our Government whose mission is more bound to basic American
values than the Department of Agriculture.
As public servants, it is up to us to ensure that the
letter and spirit of that proclamation is carried out. We are
caretakers of the public trust; there is no higher service,
other than service to God and family. We must, as I said
earlier, root out discriminatory practices. At the same time,
we must use discernment to properly identify justifiable cases
that have no merit, because finding racism where there is none
has a numbing effect on rooting out legitimate cases.
If confirmed, I will rely on two overriding principles to
guide me in achieving these goals. First, it is critical that
we work together and commit the resources to do the job. If we
don't, we will remain at status quo. We can either pay now or
pay later. We can either invest in the prevention of civil
rights abuses, or we can invest in the next landmark settlement
eclipsing the nearly $1 billion already committed to by this
Government.
Second, if confirmed, I will work to knock down roadblocks
that hinder people from achieving their dreams. The President
and Secretary Ann Veneman have strong commitments to this
principle. This principle extends to those who may not be in
this room today, but whose lives are very real and whose dreams
are rooted in the American dream of equality and justice for
all.
The prevention of civil rights abuses at the USDA is an
investment in our values, a decision of the Congress and the
President to see that the resources of this Government reach
all those Congress intended to benefit. We must the legislative
and executive authorities to get the job done, rather than wait
for courts to act as Government administrators.
In closing, Mr. Chairman and members of this committee, I
am reminded of the words in Matthew where Christ said,
``whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of
mine, you did for Me.'' Conversely, ``whatever you did not do
for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.''
Mr. Chairman, I thank you and the members of this committee
for your time and consideration, and I am available to answer
any questions that you may have of me at this time.
The Chairman. Thank you very much. I must say, Mr. Parker,
that I don't recall ever hearing a more eloquent statement by a
nominee for any office who has appeared before this committee
for confirmation. I congratulate you on the statement and the
spirit in which it was delivered. It was obvious to me that you
meant what you said, and those were very reassuring words, and
I am confident that if you keep that spirit alive within
yourself, you will be an outstanding Assistant Secretary for
Civil Rights for the Department of Agriculture.
Mr. Parker. Thank you.
The Chairman. There is one mandatory question that we have
to ask all nominees who come before the committee for
confirmation, and I will ask that now. Do you agree to appear
before any duly constituted committee of the Congress, if asked
to appear?
Mr. Parker. Yes, sir.
The Chairman. I have looked at your qualifications, and by
reason of your experience with the Office of Personnel
Management and the other duties you have had in Government and
out of Government, you certainly have the work experience that
would qualify you to serve in this position. I believe by your
statement as well that you understand the role and
responsibilities.
Let me ask you this, though: If you are confirmed by the
Senate and assume the duties of Assistant Secretary for Civil
Rights, how would you measure the success of your tenure in
this office?
Mr. Parker. Thank you for that question, Senator. One of
the things that I would look at is present day. How do people
get along? I am speaking of the clients outside of the USDA who
rely on the services of each employee there. I speak of the
farmers. I speak of the employees under Title VII. I speak of
Title VI programs also. If at the end of the day relationships
can be repaired and there are no obstacles or roadblocks to
services at the USDA, I will be very proud of that. I stand
firmly committed to work to really have an environment where
people feel that they have access to the system.
The Chairman. I am pleased to note the presence of our
distinguished Senator from Iowa, Mr. Harkin, who is the ranking
Democrat on the committee and served as chairman of this
committee and has presided over confirmation hearings before.
This is the first hearing where I am presiding as chairman of
the committee in the confirmation of a nominee before the
committee. I am pleased that it is this nominee and for this
position, because it is truly a landmark day of real hope and
meaning, not only for the customers, the farmers who deal with
the Department of Agriculture, but the employees who work
there.
I am impressed with the comments that have been made by
this nominee and wish him well in the assumption of these
duties. I am sure that your background and experience and your
commitment to doing an excellent job I will ensure your success
as the first Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. Other
Senators will respect this as well and look forward to your
serving in this job.
Senator Harkin, I am pleased to yield to you for any
statement or questions you might have?
STATEMENT OF HON. TOM HARKIN, A U.S. SENATOR FROM IOWA, RANKING
MEMBER, COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRTION, AND FORESTRY
Senator Harkin. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much, and
thank you for your great leadership of this committee and for
being so involved when we created this. This is quite a
compliment to you that as the chairman of the Agriculture
Committee, this would be the first nomination you have presided
over because this is a unique position. It is the first time we
have ever had this position at the Department of Agriculture.
It is extremely important that we move ahead on this as soon as
possible, and I thank you for moving this nominee as rapidly as
you have, Mr. Chairman.
I just want to welcome Mr. Vernon Parker to our committee
and extend my welcome also to your wife, Lisa, and your son,
Ian. I enjoyed my visit with you just the other day, Mr.
Parker, in my office. Again, you have a tough job ahead of you,
but I am sure I can assure you that on both sides of the aisle
up here you will have the support necessary to make this
position strong and successful.
It is interesting that the Department of Agriculture was
founded 150 years ago by President Lincoln, and I don't think
that irony is lost on us as the atmosphere at USDA has been, of
all the departments of the Federal Government, one of the least
friendly for minorities and women.
While I am pleased that USDA will finally have someone
charged with overseeing civil rights compliance at the
Department, both here in Washington and throughout the country,
I guess it is somewhat disappointing that such a special
position is needed.
Most people are aware of Pickford v. Glickman, and now
Veneman, class action lawsuit in which thousands of African
American farmers have received redress for decades of
discrimination. Under the historic consent decree which flowed
from this case, almost $700 million has been paid out to
African American farmers. The process of providing relief has
been plagued with problems and continues to limp along.
In addition, other civil rights lawsuits are pending,
including class actions by Hispanic farmers, American Indians,
women, and minority employees of the Department of Agriculture
itself.
In addition, we regularly hear complaints that the culture
at USDA continues to be troublesome. Just last month, the EEOC
issued a report on civil rights enforcement at USDA that
confirmed that civil rights problems remain serious and
systemic at USDA and require, and I quote, ``immediate
correction.''
Unfortunately, this critical report is not an isolated one.
Over the years, the GAO, the EEOC, and the Inspector General of
USDA itself have issued reports critical of USDA in this
regard.
For that reason, we on this committee in a bipartisan,
strong bipartisan fashion, created the Assistant Secretary for
Civil Rights in the last Farm bill. Again, this was, first and
foremost, to ensure top-level accountability at the Department
of Agriculture.
The message has to come through loudly and clearly that
discrimination is unacceptable in any form, place, or time. Mr.
Parker, it is critical that you have and use all the tools of
the Department at your disposal to alleviate discrimination at
USDA and for all USDA customers.
Mr. Parker, I want to emphasize to you both the high hopes
that we have for this position as well as the high
expectations. The USDA civil rights record is a blight on the
Department and the many fine employees at USDA who suffer guilt
by association. It is past time that we solve this problem once
and for all. As the first Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights,
your actions will set a precedent for the Department and all
future Assistant Secretaries.
You have a tough job ahead of you. We look forward to
working with you on this difficult but critically important
cause. Again, I add my congratulations to you for your
nomination to this position. Again, Mr. Chairman, I hope we can
move this nominee as rapidly as possible.
The Chairman. Thank you very much, Senator.
Mr. Parker. Thank you, Senator.
The Chairman. An excellent statement.
Senator Grassley.
Senator Grassley. I thank you, Mr. Chairman. This gives me
an opportunity, Mr. Chairman, and probably the last one, to
congratulate you on your assuming the chairmanship because this
is the first meeting I have been able to be to, so I want to
make sure I join all those others who have congratulated you
after all your years of service on this committee. Being
chairman of this committee, I had the opportunity to do the
same thing to Senator Harkin 2 years ago. I am glad to be back
on the committee after being off for the last 2 years.
I don't know whether I want to ask questions so much as
just to ask the nominee to give some consideration to some
points of view that I might make to any nominee at the
Department of Agriculture, but also maybe some that are
directly related to your immediate responsibilities. Obviously
when it comes to the issue of civil rights, I am sure you are
very, very sensitive to all of the needs and all of the
concerns of those things, and I wouldn't even pretend to have
the understanding that you would of those, although I hope I
appreciate those issues as well.
When it comes to issues of civil rights, I know that your
responsibilities go well beyond just things related to race,
even though probably the really highlighted issues before the
Department of Agriculture as they deal with civil rights, it
seems to me that most of the highlighted ones have dealt with
the issue of race and some American farmers not being treated
fairly. You would have that appreciation.
Whatever denial of civil rights that Americans have, I
would ask that you always be sensitive to farmers having not
only the civil rights issue but also connected with their
occupation of farming, a lot of other things that you need to
take into consideration, although you can only, obviously, deal
with those things that are in your authority.
Everybody in the Department of Agriculture should be
concerned about sensitivity to the occupation of farming. There
is so much about agriculture that is unpredictable, and just
the problems of African Americans in the past not being treated
right by county offices is just one of the problems that those
farmers had.
When people come to you for help, they are also
controlled--they are affected by a lot of things that are--
practically everything that is beyond their control: whether or
not they get enough rain or too much rain; whether or not
international trade or international politics, what that might
do to them.
Everybody in the Department of Agriculture, it seems to me,
has to be concerned about and be sensitive to the problem of
the family farmer, has to have some understanding of the
unpredictability of this occupation, this business. Even in the
best of times, let me say--let's say when prices are high and
there is plenty of rain and maybe it is all quiet on the
international front, there is always a cloud over the head of
the family farmer, because you don't know what is out there.
You always end up paying somebody else what they ask for your
input. You are always at the burden of what the price is for
your product on the day that you might have to sell it.
You have all the problems of civil rights you have to deal
with, but when you are dealing with farmers of America, you
have all those other things that you have to be sensitive
about. I am not here saying you won't be sensitive about them.
You may be very well sensitive about them. If you don't come
from agriculture, I don't know whether you can be as sensitive
as people who came from agriculture.
I guess with that admonition, I would just simply say to
you that when it comes to the problems of the African American
farmer not being treated right on getting loans and on
foreclosures and all those things that are now history, but not
all of those--in fact, just a small minority of those groups of
farmers at this point have been satisfied.
One of the problems of Government is that there were
certain rulings that gave these people justice, and then the
bureaucracy just didn't work to get them finality. As far as I
know, there is still a lot that don't have finality yet. It is
one thing to fight and lose, but it is another thing to fight
and win and then just never get victory because somebody
doesn't like the decision of the judge or the adjudicatory
body.
We have to work to make sure that not only justice is
rendered, but justice is delivered. You are going to find
yourself up against a bureaucracy that doesn't want to ever
admit defeat. Kind of like the IRS, they can lose in three or
four circuits and they win in one, and they are going to follow
the one circuit they win in. Sometimes there ought to be an
acceptance by Government, if Government is wrong, that we
deliver the right award to people.
I will stop there because I have expressed as best I can as
a farmer what faces agriculture, and I expressed as best I
could without a full appreciation of it, certain Americans
being denied their equal treatment under the law. You are going
into maybe a bureaucracy that is not very friendly to what you
have to deliver on. You are probably a fighter or you wouldn't
want to take this on. You are going to have to be a fighter.
If I have any questions, Mr. Chairman, I will submit those
for answers in writing, if that is OK.
The Chairman. That would be fine. Senator, we appreciate
very much your eloquent statement and comments about this
office and the nominee and the challenges that face him.
We will leave the record of the hearing open for a period
of 5 days within which Senators may submit questions if they
were not able to attend this hearing and want to ask the
witness any questions.
Senator Lincoln, we are pleased to have you attend this
hearing. Welcome. You may proceed with any statement or
questions that you may have.
Senator Lincoln. Well, a special thank you, Mr. Chairman,
for holding this hearing, and I want to add my congratulations
to you as well. I am proud to see you there and glad to have a
chairman who speaks my language and happens to be a neighbor.
Congratulations. We are looking forward to working with you.
Mr. Parker, welcome to the committee and a very special
welcome to your family as well. I know they are very proud to
be with you today.
Mr. Parker. Thank you.
Senator Lincoln. I want to thank you for coming by my
office, giving me an opportunity to meet you and understand,
and I will share with my colleague, Chairman Grassley over
there, that he did indicate to me that he had worked a little
bit on his grandfather's farm, he has a little bit of farming
background in him.
Senator Grassley and I both have farming backgrounds
ourselves, so we are always glad to know when somebody does
have a connection with the land and has some background there.
I am very pleased to be here today to consider your
nomination, Mr. Parker, for the position of Assistant Secretary
of Civil Rights. It is no secret that we have seen and continue
to see a number of documented problems with the Department of
Agriculture's handling of civil rights complaints, and I have
been a strong one in advocating, writing the Secretary and
others, to indicate that I felt like it was absolutely a
critical position that needed to be filled and it needed to be
filled in a timely way.
These injustices have really affected thousands of minority
farmers across our country, and we have had a great deal in
Arkansas who have suffered a tremendous amount, not only
financially but personally and very much in a personal and
sensitive way.
Many minority farmers have lost faith in the Department of
Agriculture's ability to meet their special needs because of
that, and it is always a sad thing and a disheartening thing
when people lose trust in the Government and the agencies that
are there to work with them and to work better toward helping
them achieve their goals and their dreams. After all, that is
what our Government was designed to do, and that was to work
with the American people to help them reach their dreams.
You know, because of that loss of faith, that is really why
during the debate of the 2002 Farm bill I and many of my
colleagues recognized the need for this position to oversee
implementation of farm policy for our minority farmers and to
respond quickly and effectively to these civil rights
complaints.
It was the intention of Congress that the occupant of this
position be tasked with improving the Department's civil rights
policies and ensuring that the Department is responsive to
complaints and to concerns. I have to say to you, Mr. Parker,
it is a big task which will bring great challenges. I speak for
my colleagues when I say to you that we thank you for accepting
these challenges. We know there will be great challenges, and
there will be much to do in mending and binding the wounds that
have been created over the past. We want to work with you.
I look forward to working with you closely to ensure that
we can improve that situation by enhancing the equity and the
accessibility of all USDA programs so that our minority
communities enjoy the same confidence and the reassurance as
other American farmers do. Whether they happen to be African
American, happen to be female, whatever--particularly Hispanic
as well, whatever their category is, it is so important that
they know that their Government can be trusted. You are being
given that responsibility. We have a great deal of faith in
you. We are looking forward to working with you and making sure
that we provide what we can in terms of the help and the
assistance. Certainly your initiative, your tenacity, your
willingness to really attack this problem and go at with the
idea that you want to rebuild that trust and bring back justice
for these individuals is a critical component for the success
of this new office at USDA.
I will echo my colleague Senator Harkin's comments that we
have high hopes and high expectations. We are willing to work
with you to do what we have to do to make this a success, and I
hope that we will all come together in making sure that it is a
success.
We thank you for being here. I thank you, Mr. Chairman. I
have a couple of questions, and I will be glad to submit them
to the record so that Mr. Parker can answer them.
The Chairman. We thank you very much, Senator Lincoln, for
your comments and your presence and influence on this
committee. You are a valued member of the committee, and it is
a pleasure to work with you.
[The prepared statement of Senator Lincoln can be found in
the appendix on page 16.]
The Chairman. [continuing] Mr. Parker it is a compliment to
you that you have not had any hostile questions.
[Laughter.]
The Chairman. The fact is that because you have met with
Senators and you have probably answered the questions that
those you visited with had already and you answered them in a
way that was very reassuring. Certainly that was the case with
my questions of you, talking about how you viewed this office
and your role and the responsibilities it would bring to you
and how you planned to discharge those responsibilities and
what your background was and why you thought you were qualified
to serve, and all those answers impressed me. The fact that
other Senators have been here today to compliment you, to
express our confidence in you, is a tribute to you. I want you
to feel good about the relationship you have with this
committee starting off in this very important undertaking.
Because we have indicated that the record will remain open
for a period of days for comments, statements, or questions to
be submitted, we will probably not have another meeting of this
committee on this nomination until that time expires. It is my
hope that we can have a meeting as soon as possible after that
5 days has elapsed so that we can vote to recommend
confirmation of you to the full Senate and the Senate can act
on it. We hope within the near future your confirmation will be
assured and you can begin assuming the duties of Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights.
I have received a statement, which we will put in the
record, from the Rural Coalition/Coalicion Rural, and the
Federation of Souther Cooperations/Land Assistance Fund. That
will be made a part of the record in full.
[The referred information is retained in the committee
files.]
The Chairman. If there are other statements that any other
organizations or individuals would like to submit for the
record, they can feel free to do so, and we will make them a
part of the hearing record.
Mr. Parker, that concludes the hearing, and I congratulate
you for your performance and your selection for this job and
wish you well in this important undertaking.
Mr. Parker. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Parker can be found in the
appendix on page 18.]
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A P P E N D I X
March 20, 2003
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DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD
March 20, 2003
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QUESTION AND ANSWERS
March 20, 2003
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