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Senate Agriculture Committee faces 18 confirmation hearings

The Senate Agriculture Committee faces 18 confirmation hearings for positions in the Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Nominee Sonny Perdue is only one of 14 USDA positions to be confirmed. There are also to be hearings for three Commodity Futures Trading Commission vacancies, and one Farm Credit Administration board position.

Senate aides told The Hagstrom Report that the confirmation hearings are the committee’s priority, and take precedence over farm bill work. In addition to confirming the secretary, hearings will be held to confirm the deputy secretary as well as assistant secretaries and undersecretaries.  Sonny Perdue’s confirmation hearing is expected in early March.