President Donald Trump has nominated climate skeptic Sam Clovis to serve as the Department of Agriculture's chief scientist, The Washington Post reports.
Clovis, a former professor at Morningside College and talk radio host, is being considered for the position of under secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics.
The 2008 farm bill specifies that "the under secretary shall be appointed . . . from among distinguished scientists with specialized training or significant experience in agricultural research, education, and economics."
The position will "hold the title of Chief Scientist of the Department and [shall] be responsible for the coordination of the research, education, and extension activities of the Department."
Usually the job is held by someone with advanced degrees in scientific or medicinal fields. Trump's nominee, now a senior White House adviser at the USDA, has degrees in political science, business and public administration.
In 2014, Clovis said on Iowa Public Radio that he is "extremely skeptical" about climate change, saying, "a lot of the science is junk science."
"It's not proven; I don't think there's any substantive information available to me that doesn't raise as many questions as it does answers," he said. "So I'm a skeptic."
If confirmed by the Senate, Clovis would oversee the Economic Research Service, the Agricultural Research Service, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
"Dr. Clovis was one of the first people through the door at USDA in January and has become a trusted adviser and steady hand as we continue to work for the people of agriculture," Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said Wednesday in a statement.
"He looks at every problem with a critical eye, relying on sound science and data, and will be the facilitator and integrator we need. Dr. Clovis has served this nation proudly since he was a very young man, and I am happy he is continuing to serve."
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