April 24, 2017

Wyden Votes “No” on Sonny Perdue to Lead the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement after voting against the confirmation of Sonny Perdue to be the secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

“I have concerns about Mr. Perdue’s commitment to vital programs for rural Americans, such as the Secure Rural Schools program, and am not convinced he recognizes the vital role they play in hard-hit rural communities. Additionally, when we spoke, he simply would not commit to making sure the U.S. Department of Agriculture under his leadership would be transparent in its work, including reporting animal welfare violations,” Wyden said.

“I cannot vote for a Secretary of Agriculture who does not value transparency in government or support programs to help American communities prosper.”