Perdue pressed on proposed USDA budget cuts at nomination hearing

Former Georgia Governor and current Secretary of Agriculture nominee Sonny Perdue recently testified on his views of the Trump administration’s proposed budget at his nomination hearing, ProAg summarized in an announcement.

"If I'm confirmed, I am going to … work for agriculture producers and consumers to let this administration and any of the people that are making those decisions in that budget area know what is important to America," Perdue said. "I hope in the context of … a budget that meets the objectives that we can get agricultural share there. These are important programs; I recognize that."

The Trump administration’s budget proposal includes a 21 percent cut to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 2018 discretionary spending, and Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., pressed Perdue on his views of those cuts. She ran through a list of USDA programs that stand to be cut under the budget and asked Perdue’s list on each of them.

"I look forward to engaging this USDA federal workforce in and inspiring them that we can do more,” Perdue said. “Obviously it takes some money in many of these areas, and I promise you I will be a strong and tenacious advocate for that."