Apr 25, 2017

Sonny Perdue Confirmed as Ag Secretary

Sonny Perdue was sworn in as the 31st U.S. secretary of agriculture on April 25. Perdue was sworn in by fellow Georgian and Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Clarence Thomas in a brief ceremony 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.”

AmericanHort welcomed the Senate confirmation of Sonny Perdue.

“Ag and rural America will benefit from vision and strong leadership. Our Georgia colleagues tell us he’s up to the task!” a Facebook post by AmericanHort read.

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