Sixty-three days into President Trump’s Administration, the Senate Agriculture Committee (Committee) held a hearing to question USDA Secretary nominee Sonny Perdue and review the Agriculture nomination. The hearing was delayed as Perdue worked with the Office of Government Ethics to avoid conflicts of interest. Overall, the Committee was cordial to former Georgia Governor Perdue.
The Committee discussed issues such as the President’s proposed 21 percent cut to USDA’s budget, trade issues, challenges in the dairy industry, and the impact on U.S. growers and producers from declining prices. Perdue stated his desire to maintain a sharp focus on effective use of our National Forests. Although Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) expressed concern that the Trump administration is not prioritizing Rural America, Ranking Member Stabenow still expressed her support for Perdue’s nomination. Former USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has also publicly supported the nomination of Perdue.