The pace of action is picking up for President Trump’s nominee for agriculture secretary, former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue. Chairman Pat Roberts says the Senate Agriculture Committee will vote Wednesday to favorably report the nomination to the full Senate for confirmation.
It’s not clear how quickly the Senate could act and whether a vote can be called before a two-week recess begins on April 8, the end of next week. The Senate could be tied up for days with a threatened filibuster of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. “I think it (a vote on Perdue) will be sooner rather than later,” said Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, who also serves on the Agriculture Committee. “He could easily be worked in next week…If there’s a lot of debate on him, it will go over to the last 10 days of April.”
Perdue is expected to easily win committee approval and Senate confirmation, given the congenial spirit of his confirmation hearing last week and warm embrace by the agriculture community. Members of the Agriculture Committee are likely to meet in the Capitol to vote on Perdue while they have time during a roll call vote on the floor. The time and location was not set, said a committee announcement.