U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin says the confirmation hearing for former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack as the nation's next agriculture secretary will be on January 14th.

President-elect Barack Obama chose Vilsack for the post. Harkin, an Iowa Democrat who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, predicts an easy confirmation for Vilsack.

Vilsack served two terms as governor, winning election in 1998 and in 2002. He did not run again in 2006 and made a brief run for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

Since leaving office, Vilsack has taught at Drake University's law school in Des Moines and has been a consultant with a variety of clients.