Obama picks nominees for agriculture, defense posts

US President Barack Obama intends to nominate Kathleen Merrigan as deputy secretary of the Agriculture Department, the White House said on Monday.

Merrigan was the administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service at the department from 1999 to 2001.

Obama also intends to nominate Ashton Carter for Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, the White House said in a statement.

Carter was assistant secretary of defense for international security policy from 1993 to 1996.

The White House announced a slate of other expected nominations.

Jon Cannon, who served at the Environmental Protection Agency during three previous administrations, was Obama's pick for the agency's deputy administrator.

Seth Harris, who served as counselor to the secretary of labor and assistant secretary of labor for policy under President Bill Clinton, was Obama's pick for deputy secretary of labor.

Tom Strickland, a former US Attorney in Colorado, is to be nominated for assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks at the Department of the Interior.