On April 24, the U.S. Senate confirmed former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue as Secretary of Agriculture by a vote of 87 to 11 and on April 25, 2017 he became the 31^st United States Secretary of Agriculture. Perdue, 70, grew up on a dairy farm and holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine.

In announcing the Senate confirmation of Perdue, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, praised him by stating that during his confirmation hearing, “Governor Perdue demonstrated a real understanding of the challenges facing the agriculture industry and a willingness to work together to find solutions.” Sen. Roberts also noted that, “The Agriculture Committee received many letters in support of his nomination, including support from 6 former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture representing both Republican and Democratic presidents and another from nearly 700 organizations across the agriculture and food value chain.”

President Donald Trump nominated Perdue in January but progress on his confirmation was slow due to media reports suggesting that undoing his various business entanglements caused delays in the ethics filings, according to U.S. News. Perdue filed his disclosure forms in mid-March. The Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing on Perdue on March 23, and favorable voted him out of the Committee on March 30.

When Perdue was nominated as Agriculture Secretary in January, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) issued the following statement by Pamela G. Bailey, President and CEO of GMA, “As Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue’s agricultural business background and experience as governor will serve the U.S. well. GMA looks forward to working with him on issues key to keeping America’s food the safest and most affordable food supply in the history of the world.”

A statement on USDA’s website provides more information on Secretary Sonny Perdue.