An array of food, farm and agribusiness groups and companies asked in a letter to Senate Agriculture Committee leaders for “expeditious confirmation” of former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue as agriculture secretary. “Though some (agriculture secretaries) were raised on a farm, only two actually lived and worked in agriculture as adults,” says the letter. “If confirmed, Sonny Perdue will be number three.”
Perdue was the last cabinet member selected by President Donald Trump, who announced his choice the day before his inauguration, ending the longest search for a USDA nominee since 1933. The White House has yet to send Perdue’s background papers to the Senate so a hearing can be scheduled. Perdue is paying courtesy calls on senators and received a briefing on the state of the U.S. farm sector this week.
The letter in support of Perdue, with a 17-page list of signers, was circulated by the Trump transition team. Perdue is a veterinarian by training and an operator of agribusinesses. The letter says Perdue has “a personal understanding of the unique needs of rural America” and “is also keenly aware of the importance of agriculture in powering our nation’s economy, providing jobs from farm to table.”