Perdue Sworn in as Ag Secretary
April 26, 2017 
Sonny Perdue, with his wife Mary, takes the oath of office administered by Associate Justice Clarence Thomas in the U.S. Supreme Court Building, becoming the 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. (Photo credit: USDA)
Sonny Perdue was sworn in as the 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture by 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 Monday evening.
After Secretary Perdue took the oath of office, he addressed employees at USDA before getting to work on his first day. USDA launched his official Twitter handle: @SecretarySonny.
“The only legacy that I seek is the only one that any grandparent or parent seeks – to be good stewards, and to hand off our nation, our home, our fields, our forests, and our farms to the next generation in better shape than we found it,” Perdue said. “Making sure that Americans who make their livelihoods in the agriculture industry have the ability to thrive will be one of my top priorities. I am committed to serving the customers of USDA, and I will be an unapologetic advocate for American agriculture.”
Perdue says his policies will be to maximize ag’s ability to create jobs and produce and sell foods and fiber, to ensure a safe and secure food supply, to be efficient and effective, and be a good steward of the land.
“As secretary, I will champion the concerns of farmers, ranchers, foresters, and producers, and will work tirelessly to solve the issues facing our farm families,” Perdue said. “I am proud to have been given this opportunity and look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work as we continue to move the USDA and our nation forward.”
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