Perdue confirmed as secretary of agriculture

Sonny Perdue was sworn in as the 31st U.S. secretary of agriculture by fellow Georgian and Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Clarence Thomas in a brief ceremony April 25 at the Supreme Court building. The U.S. Senate confirmed Secretary Perdue by a vote of 87-to-11 on April 24.

After Secretary Perdue took the oath of office, he addressed employees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) before getting to work on his first day. USDA has launched his official Twitter handle: @SecretarySonny.

“Making sure that Americans who make their livelihoods in the agriculture industry have the ability to thrive will be one of my top priorities,” Secretary Perdue said. “I am committed to serving the customers of USDA, and I will be an unapologetic advocate for American agriculture.”

Perdue was a member of the Georgie State Senate for 11 years, and served as governor for two terms.

The potato industry applauds Perdue’s confirmation, said John Keeling, National Potato Council executive vice president and CEO.

“Secretary Perdue is a farmer who understands the needs of agriculture and rural communities,” Keeling said. “We look forward to his leadership and support on key potato priorities, including continuing a positive trade agenda, enhancing resources for agricultural research, recognizing the role potatoes play in providing nutrition to U.S. consumers and protecting growers’ access to innovative production technologies.”

The American Farm Bureau Federation released a statement in support of the confirmation.

“We are eager for agriculture to finally have a seat in the president’s cabinet, and we know Secretary Perdue is just as eager to get to work for farmers, consumers and rural America,” said Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall. “He understands the impact farm labor shortages, trade agreements and regulations have on a farmer’s bottom line and ability to stay in business from one season to the next. There’s important work ahead for the secretary, and he’ll need to address these challenges against the backdrop of the biggest drop in farm prices and income we’ve seen in decades.”

 

To learn more about Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, visit www.usda.gov.