It appears unlikely the country will have a new Secretary of Agriculture before late April.
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, told reporters Tuesday it is doubtful Sonny Perdue’s nomination will be taken up by the Senate this week. It could only happen if both political parties agree to unanimous approval or to limited debate that would allow the nomination to be approved very quickly. That likely won’t happen, he added.
The Senate is expected to adjourn for its two-week Easter break at the end of the week and will not return until the week of April 24.
Perdue, the 70-year-old former governor of Georgia, was the last major cabinet secretary nominee named by then president-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 18. The administration did not forward that nomination to the Senate until March 9. The Senate Agriculture Committee approved Perdue on March 30 and sent the nomination to the full Senate. But a busy Senate schedule means it is unlikely he will be approved yet this week.
Instead, the Senate is expected to spend a significant part of the week debating the nomination to the Supreme Court of Judge Neil Gorsuch.
Leaders of some agricultural organizations have expressed frustration at the fact that there is no approved Secretary of Agriculture yet, saying the Trump administration was slow to nominate someone and that the Senate has been slow to approve.
The American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Grain and Feed Association sent a letter to lawmakers earlier this week urging them to approve Perdue quickly.
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