Donald Trump Picks Sonny Perdue For Agriculture Secretary, Completing Cabinet
Today, members of Trump's transition team told members of the press that Trump has chosen ex-Georgia-governor Sonny Perdue as Secretary of Agriculture. Here's what you need to know.
The Trump Booster Began His Career As A Veterinarian And Came To Own Numerous Agricultural Businesses
Perdue, a veterinarian who has no relation to the family that owns chicken producer Perdue Farms Inc., has owned agribusiness companies for nearly four decades. In 2011, after finishing his second term as governor – the limit imposed by Georgia's constitution – Perdue founded Perdue Partners LLC, an Atlanta-based trading company, as Bloomberg News reported.
[The Christian Science Monitor]
As A Democratic State Senator, He Helped Shape Georgia's Agricultural Policy In The 90s
A native of Perry, Ga., Perdue helped craft the state's agriculture policy in the 1990s as a Democratic state senator from Houston County before switching to the GOP in 1998.
[AJC]
In 2002, Perdue Became Georgia's First Republican Governor Since Reconstruction, Creating A New Trend
In 2002, Perdue was elected the state's first Republican governor since the end of Reconstruction more than 130 years earlier. Perdue's victory over an incumbent Democrat completed Georgia's shift to a solidly Republican state, ending generations of Democratic control of state government.
Part Of His Campaign Was A Referendum To Bring Back The Confederate Battle Cross To The State Flag
During his underdog campaign, he energized rural white voters by promising a referendum on the state flag, which the Legislature stripped of its large Confederate battle cross two years ago. After he was elected, Mr. Perdue, the state's first Republican governor in 130 years, went silent on the issue.
Perdue Seemingly Clashes With Trump's Views On International Trade
Perdue has a long track record of promoting trade. As governor, he opened his state's international trade office in Beijing and actively supported commerce between Georgia and China. He also lobbied to have Atlanta be the headquarters of the Free Trade Area of the Americas, a proposed expansion of the NAFTA that would have included South America and the Caribbean. During his time in office, Perdue visited Cuba and called for more trade with the communist nation — a position that appears to stand in contrast to Trump's calls to halt the thawing of relations with Cuba until more U.S. demands are met.
[Politico]
As Governor, He Has A History Of Deregulation
As governor, he pushed for the expansion of factory farms, pushed to reduce gas taxes, and fought against the Bush administration's EPA in its attempt to enforce the Clean Air Act.
Perdue Drew National Attention When He Held An Event At The Capitol To Pray For Rain During A Drought
The Department Of Agriculture Oversees A Wide Array Of Programs
Its purview includes everything from food stamps to food safety.
If confirmed, Mr. Perdue would oversee an agency with a $150 billion budget. The Agriculture Department is in charge of farm policy and food safety, and it funds food stamps, nutrition programs and the United States Forest Service.
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