Bush Names Another Reagan Aide : Trade Envoy Yeutter Nominated to Be Agriculture Secretary

WASHINGTON —  President-elect George Bush, once again relying on familiar Reagan Administration faces rather than fresh ones, nominated Clayton K. Yeutter as agriculture secretary today.

Yeutter, 58, has served as the U.S. trade representative since 1985 and has held other top positions under former Republican Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford.

Bush called Yeutter “quite simply the best man for this very important job” and suggested that with Yeutter running the massive Agriculture Department, American farmers would have “no greater spokesman, no greater advocate.”

Nomination ‘Open-Ended’

It had been thought that Yeutter wanted to return to the private sector and Bush acknowledged that he had had to persuade Yeutter to take the job. There have been rumors that Yeutter may not want to stay for a full four years, but Bush said the nomination, which is subject to Senate confirmation, “is open-ended.”

“There are only a few people in the world who could convince me to carry forward in another stint in government,” Yeutter told Bush at a news conference where his nomination was announced. “You’re one of those few.”

During the campaign, Bush promised repeatedly that he would bring many new faces to government. However, in most of his nominations thus far, the vice president has chosen people who have served under President Reagan or in earlier administrations.

Silent on Tower Status

Asked about the trend, Bush joked that Yeutter’s face is familiar but that his job will be much different.

Bush also today refused to comment further on the status of John Tower of Texas, former head of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who has been expected for weeks to be named as defense secretary.

Ever since it was suggested that Tower would be nominated for that spot, numerous questions have been raised about his ties to the defense industry and his personal life.