Senate set to confirm Sonny Perdue as agriculture secretary

“NPPC and America’s pork producers look forward to working with Secretary Perdue”, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President Ken Maschhoff said.

I pledge to fully support you in these efforts to strongly and tenaciously advocate for American agriculture and the expansion of our exports markets.

“We need a secretary of agriculture who will be a relentless advocate for our nation’s farmers and the important services USDA provides”. Perdue’s first cousin, although he did preside over the Senate floor during the vote.

“We will be asking Secretary Perdue to establish a task force that does a 180-day review of regulation and policy, legislation that unnecessarily hinders economic growth in the agriculture area”, said Ray Starling, the special assistant to the president for agriculture. “His strong production and agribusiness background makes him keenly aware of US agriculture’s critical importance in feeding and clothing this country and the world, powering this nation’s economy, and contributing to rural America’s well-being”. “I am proud to have been given this opportunity and look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work as we continue to move the USDA and our nation forward”. The giant, five-year measure covers a range of policies from crop insurance for farmers to nutrition programs for low-income Americans.

Perdue is slated to be sworn in during a short ceremony early Tuesday at the Supreme Court and later speak with department employees.

The Obama administration pushed many programs that directly funded infrastructure projects like broadband access in rural communities, but the Trump administration believes “the best thing we can do economically is to focus on agriculture”, which creates the most jobs in rural America, Starling said. There are still more than 200 political appointments at USDA that have yet to be made. There are now more than 100,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees under his direction.

“With his wide range of experience as a farmer, businessman, and governor, Sec”. Perdue has no association with the food company Perdue, nor with the poultry producer Perdue Farms.

“United Fresh congratulates Secretary Perdue on his confirmation today by the full Senate”.

“As Governor, Sonny Perdue repeatedly put corporate profits over protecting farmers, workers and consumers”.

Perdue will also be part of the administration’s response to a dispute with Canada’s dairy industry, which has a new lower-priced classification of milk product that Trump says is harming US producers in dairy states like Wisconsin and NY. Food safety is one of USDA’s top responsibilities.