Sonny Perdue
USDA reopens offices in farm country, as anxiety about nutrition programs rises
Producers are given more time to enroll for Trump tariff payments
Back to square one for USDA nominees
Three nominations for senior USDA posts overseeing research, food safety, and civil rights died with the 115th Congress on Wednesday, and the path forward for those nominations in the two-year session that opened on Thursday is unclear.
Keep USDA science agencies in D.C., say lawmakers
A powerhouse group of U.S. representatives, including incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, filed a bill on Thursday to block the relocation and reorganization of USDA research agencies.
Perdue completes overhaul of school food rules
In 2017, on just his sixth day in office, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue made chocolate milk safe for schools again, along with white flour and salt, in the name of “regulatory flexibility” for school food programs. On Thursday, the USDA said it will make those changes permanent.
Final farm bill hurdle: White House forestry demands
Congressional leaders are taking a direct hand in the final farm bill fight—the Trump administration's demands for a freer hand in fire prevention in national forests—with a decision possible as early as today that would allow a lame-duck vote on the $87 billion-a-year legislation. Negotiators have resolved the headline issue, a proposal by House Republicans for stricter SNAP work requirements, but are keeping it under wraps until the compromise bill is complete.
USDA will wait for Congress to decide SNAP work rules
Congress should have the first, and last, word on stricter work requirements for able-bodied SNAP recipients, said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Thursday. The USDA is working on the issue as a regulatory matter, but Perdue told reporters that he would not intrude on legislative prerogatives.
Inspector general to review USDA relocation of two agencies
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue aims to announce the new homes for two USDA research agencies in early 2019, potentially relocating them as far away as California to save money and make it easier to recruit workers. The inspector general, however, will review whether Perdue can act on his own, announced two lawmakers.
From inside the Beltway to the Central Valley, locales woo USDA agencies
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Tuesday that “interest from across the country has been overwhelming” at the chance to house two USDA research agencies that he has decided to move out of Washington.
Perdue promotes America’s Harvest Box, the sequel
The Trump administration’s budget-cutting plans for next year may well include a test, or even a full-scale revival, of “America’s Harvest Box,” said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Wednesday.
Christiansen moves from interim to permanent Forest Service chief
After six months as the agency’s interim leader, Vicki Christiansen will take the oath of office today as chief of the U.S. Forest Service, one of the USDA’s largest agencies.
Former federal officials protest moving ERS from Washington
A bipartisan coalition of former federal officials wrote a letter opposing the planned move of USDA's Economic Research Service from Washington, D.C. The move was announced by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in August. Perdue has said the move will save taxpayers money and allow USDA to better recruit from land-grant universities far from Washington.
Analyst: USDA overstated employee turnover to justify agency relocation
When Sonny Perdue announced he would move the Economic Research Service out of Washington, he said it would make it easier to recruit and retain qualified staff. But after a review of USDA data, a professional statistics group says the problem of staff turnover doesn't exist.
Perdue addresses farmer fly-in, talks trade and SNAP work requirements
In a 15-minute address to hundreds of members of the National Farmers Union, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue emphasized the need for a strong farm safety net and diverse trade partners for U.S. agricultural producers.
Show us the proof, Democrats ask Perdue
Four Democratic representatives, all members of the House Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture, have called on Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to justify his plan to move two USDA agencies out of Washington.
Stakeholders weigh in on Perdue’s relocation plan
Last week, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced plans to move two key USDA agencies out of the Washington area. This week, the debate over the proposal, both pro and con, kicked off.
Perdue takes control of USDA’s economics agency
The Economic Research Service, the USDA’s self-described “honest broker of economic information,” is being placed under the control of the agency’s top political appointee, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. The move, announced on Thursday, would make the ERS part of the office of Perdue’s chief economist.
Perdue on the EU: ‘They need to step up and buy’
The United States expects Europe to follow through on a promise to buy more U.S. soybeans, said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Monday. At the same time, he said that America will not respect EU claims to the exclusive use of such food names as Parma ham or Roquefort cheese.