WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, issued a statement today following President-elect Trump’s announcement that he has nominated former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to be Secretary of the Department of Agriculture: “Throughout the last eight years, the picture painted of the state of our agriculture economy is far rosier than the realities on the ground,” said Ernst. “Iowans lead our nation in pork, soybean and corn production, and folks want strong leadership and forward thinking in the Department of Agriculture. Too often, agricultural priorities fall to the wayside, and we need to address head-on the many urgent issues that plague our farmers and producers. “As a veterinarian, Mr. Perdue understands the agriculture industry, and has executive branch experience as a former governor. I look forward to thoroughly vetting him for this position before our committee.” # # # |