04.24.17

Hoeven: Secretary Perdue Will Be Good Advocate for Agriculture, Rural America

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today announced that the U.S. Senate has confirmed former Georgia Governor George “Sonny” Perdue to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Hoeven has been working to move Perdue’s nomination through the Senate to ensure that the nation’s agriculture sector is well-represented.

“I look forward to working with Secretary Perdue to support our nation’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities,” said Hoeven.  “Secretary Perdue has committed to advancing the priorities of our producers, including building a strong coalition to pass the next farm bill and providing support for rural communities during these tough times in the farm patch. Secretary Perdue will be a strong leader for USDA and a great advocate for agriculture.”

During Perdue’s confirmation hearing, Hoeven secured a commitment from the Secretary to visit North Dakota and see firsthand the work being done in the state’s agriculture industry. The senator also pressed Perdue to support priorities, including:

  • Building a North, South, Midwest coalition to pass a new farm bill
  • Maintaining the agriculture budget
  • Supporting strong crop insurance options
  • Updating Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) to ensure the countercyclical safety net works for farmers and ranchers
  • Supporting the no-cost sugar program
  • Providing flexibility in school nutrition programs to ensure that schools can both meet their budgets and serve nutritious foods that students will eat

Hoeven plays a key role in shaping the nation’s agriculture policy as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee. The senator also served on the Senate-House Conference Committee that crafted the final farm bill of 2014. 

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