Sunny Purdue Confirmed as USDA Secretary - April 24

Fischer Statement on Confirmation of Sonny Perdue as Ag Secretary

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, today released the following statement after the Senate confirmed former Georgia Governor Sonny Purdue to serve as Secretary of Agriculture.

“Agriculture is the number one driver of Nebraska’s economy, and the United States Department of Agriculture is critically important for our producers as they work hard to feed a hungry world. During the confirmation process, Governor Perdue proved he possesses the experience and expertise to lead in this pivotal role. He understands regional differences and is committed to ensuring that agriculture holds a prominent seat at the table during trade negotiations. I congratulate Governor Perdue on his confirmation today, and I look forward to working with him in the future.”



 Smith Statement on Senate Confirmation of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue

Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) released the following statement today after the U.S. Senate voted to confirm former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

“Today’s confirmation of Secretary Perdue is great news for Nebraska agriculture,” Smith said.  “At my Farm Bill listening sessions last week, Third District producers made it clear they wanted to see Secretary Perdue confirmed as soon as possible so we can hit the ground running on agriculture policy.  With his wide range of experience as a farmer, businessman, and governor, Secretary Perdue is well-positioned to lead the USDA in helping create more opportunity for U.S. producers.”

Smith is founder and co-chairman of the Modern Agriculture Caucus.



 Statement by Steve Nelson, President, Regarding Sonny Perdue Confirmation to Lead USDA

“Nebraska Farm Bureau is very excited that former Gov. Sonny Perdue has been confirmed to lead the Unites States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Governor Perdue will serve our nation’s farmers and ranchers well. His willingness to serve as American’s agriculture voice in the federal government deserves both our admiration and respect.”

“From helping Congress develop the next Farm Bill to helping grow and expand trade opportunities, America’s farm and ranch families truly have a friend leading the agriculture department.”

"We also would like to thank Senators Deb Fischer, and Ben Sasse for their support of this outstanding nominee."



NCGA Welcomes Sonny Perdue to USDA

Today the United States Senate voted to confirm Sonny Perdue as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. The following is a statement from the National Corn Growers Association:

“The National Corn Growers Association congratulates Secretary Perdue on his confirmation. USDA has been without a Secretary for too long, but we are confident that Secretary Perdue will bring strong leadership to the Department. There are still more than 200 political appointments at USDA that have yet to be made. We strongly urge the Administration to move quickly in filling these positions.

“We are ready to partner with Secretary Perdue and the rest of the Administration to build a better farm economy. That begins with strong trade policy and continued investment in renewable fuels. It also means protecting risk management programs during a weak economy, and beginning preparations for the next farm bill. There is much work to do, and we are eager to begin.”



Perdue ‘Very Good’ For U.S. Agriculture

Calling him “very good for America’s farmers and ranchers,” the National Pork Producers Council congratulated former Georgia Gov. George “Sonny” Perdue on his confirmation today by the U.S. Senate as the new Secretary of Agriculture.

“Sonny Perdue is the kind of leader the pork industry, and the entire livestock industry, needs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” said NPPC President Ken Maschhoff, a pork producer from Carlyle, Ill. “He’ll be very good for America’s farmers and ranchers.”

At his March 23 confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Perdue pledged to be a “tenacious” advocate for agriculture. “Agriculture needs a strong advocate,” he told the committee. He also vowed to work with the administration “to establish a strong trade policy that benefits agriculture” and to identify unintended consequences of regulations and address them “before they create challenges for agriculture.”

A veterinarian and agri-businessman who grew up on a dairy and row crop farm in central Georgia, Perdue served as the state’s governor from 2003 to 2011. Prior to that, he was in the Georgia Senate for 10 years.

“Sec. Perdue knows agriculture; I think he’ll do well as Agriculture Secretary,” Maschhoff said. “Also, he takes over at a critical time for agriculture, with work starting on a new farm bill and possibly on free trade agreements that would open new markets to U.S. pork and other agricultural products.

“NPPC and America’s pork producers look forward to working with Sec. Perdue.”



Cattlemen Praise Confirmation of Gov. Perdue for USDA Secretary

Craig Uden, president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, today praised the Senate confirmation of former Gov. Sonny Perdue to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

“Decisions made every day at the USDA have a significant impact on our ability to run our operations. We are excited to have a Secretary that comes from the industry, understands the complexities of our business, and is willing to stand up and fight for the hard-working men and women in rural America. We are looking forward to working with Secretary Perdue in his new role leading the Department of Agriculture.”



USMEF Statement on Senate Confirmation of U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue

Today, on a vote of 87 to 11, the United States Senate confirmed former Georgia governor Sonny Perdue as the new U.S. secretary of agriculture. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Philip Seng issued the following statement:

USMEF is pleased to see Secretary Perdue receive such strong, bipartisan support in the Senate, and we look forward to working with him to promote U.S. red meat products worldwide. Secretary Perdue’s track record as governor and his recent testimony before the Senate leave no doubt that he understands the important role of international trade in enhancing the profitability of U.S. livestock producers and the entire U.S. supply chain, and that he is very committed to expanding U.S. exports. This is a critical and rather uncertain time for agricultural trade, and USMEF is confident that Secretary Perdue will be a champion for U.S. agriculture and will help the Trump administration build strong relationships with key trading partners.



Farm Bureau Welcomes New Ag Secretary

The following may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: “Farm Bureau heartily congratulates Secretary Sonny Perdue on his new role leading our nation’s Agriculture Department. 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.”

“Secretary Perdue is a long-time friend to me and farmers across Georgia, and soon to the millions of men and women across our country who feed and clothe our nation. He is a real-world farmer himself and knows the business inside out. 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. But just like America’s farmers and ranchers, I know Secretary Perdue isn’t afraid of a hard day’s work. We are confident he is the right man for the job at hand.”



NMPF Statement on Senate Confirmation of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue
Jim Mulhern, President and CEO, NMPF

“We congratulate Secretary Sonny Perdue on his confirmation by the Senate today, and we’re eager to work with him on the challenges facing the nation’s dairy farmers – issues he’s already indicated he will tackle at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“Secretary Perdue knows that dairy farmers depend on export markets around the world and closer to home, which is why it is important for USDA to insist on preserving market access to key customers in Mexico, and demand that Canada plays by the international trade rules to which it has already agreed.

“We also need Secretary Perdue’s support to help develop new dairy export markets in Japan and elsewhere. As one of every seven tankers of milk we produce is exported, agricultural trade policy plays a central role in boosting the health of the rural economy.

“Secretary Perdue has expressed support for improving the dairy Margin Protection Program so that it can serve as the effective safety net it was intended to be. NMPF looks forward to working with Secretary Perdue and his staff at USDA to improve the tools available to dairy farmers to help manage the economic and natural risks they face.

“We also commend Secretary Perdue on his support – reiterated during his Senate Agriculture Committee hearing – for relieving the obstacles dairy producers deal with when looking to hire workers for year-round labor.

“Secretary Perdue is highly qualified to run USDA, having grown up on a farm, been trained as a veterinarian, enjoyed success as a small businessman, and serving as Georgia governor for eight years. We look forward to working together to create new opportunities to better the lives of dairy farmers and others living in rural America.”

 

NAWG Statement on the Confirmation of Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue
National Association of Wheat Growers President David Schemm:

“NAWG extends our congratulations to Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue on his confirmation as Secretary of the Department of Agriculture. His experience as a farmer and a governor of an agriculture state make him an ideal candidate to run the country’s leading authority on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, and nutrition policy.

“Governor Perdue’s confirmation comes at a critical time as negotiations for the 2018 Farm Bill reauthorization are underway and as the White House drafts a new trade agenda. He recognizes the essential roles that immigration, trade, and regulation play in a farmer’s ability to run their business, all of which will shape the debate as congress works to pass the Farm Bill and appropriations bills. As farmers face challenging economic times, we have confidence that Governor Perdue will bring the agriculture industry back on track.

“We applaud Chairman Roberts and Ranking Member Stabenow for their bi-partisan leadership and cooperation throughout the confirmation process. We look forward to working with Governor Perdue and the new administration on maintaining and forming policies that improve the livelihoods of wheat producers across the country."



Growth Energy Congratulates Sonny Perdue on Confirmation as Secretary of Agriculture

Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor released the following statement regarding the Senate’s confirmation of President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue.

“We congratulate Secretary Perdue on his confirmation to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and look forward to working with him to advance the biofuels industry and move American agriculture forward.

“The success of rural America is inextricably linked to a strong Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and growing adoption of higher ethanol blends at the pump. The USDA has played an integral role in this success and we are excited to see Secretary Perdue’s plans to continue leading the way in protecting the economic wellbeing of America’s farmers, while giving consumers the choice for homegrown biofuels at the pump.”




NGFA commends Senate for confirming Sonny Perdue as the next Secretary of Agriculture

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) today commended the U.S. Senate on its 87-11 vote confirming former two-term Georgia Gov. George E. (Sonny) Perdue III to serve as the 31st secretary of agriculture.

"Secretary Perdue's expertise, considerable experience in production agriculture, agribusiness and state government, and his ability to engage effectively with others will serve him and U.S. agriculture well as he assumes a leadership role within the administration on trade, the farm bill, regulatory overreach and other issues important to American agriculture," said NGFA President Randy Gordon.

As the owner of three agribusiness and transportation firms serving farmers across the Southeast, Perdue had served as a member of the NGFA's Board of Directors from 2014 until his nomination earlier this year.  He also had served as a member of NGFA's Country Elevator Committee in the early 1980s.  He won election as Georgia's governor in 2003 - the first Republican to do so in 135 years - and was reelected to a second term in 2006 with 58 percent of the vote.

After President Donald Trump nominated Perdue to lead USDA in January, the NGFA touted the former governor as an accomplished public servant, and the Senate Agriculture Committee later approved him on a strong, bipartisan vote.

The NGFA stressed that Perdue's strong commitment to agricultural trade and recognition of the important role it plays in enhancing U.S. economic growth, job creation and the vitality of rural communities will be important as the administration begins renegotiating free trade deals, including the North American Free Trade Agreement, and reengages in Asia-Pacific trade discussions. Perdue also is a fierce advocate of regulatory reform and is committed to rolling back regulatory excesses within the federal government that have undermined the competitiveness and efficiency of America's farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses.

"We look forward to working with Secretary Perdue and his capable team as they 'hit the ground running' in addressing pending, current and future issues important to U.S. agriculture," Gordon said.