News

USDA still without leader

The next secretary of agriculture remains just one of two cabinet positions still waiting to be filled by the Trump administration.

Experts say while a candidate to head USDA is typically named later in cabinet selections, President-elect Trump’s delay has taken longer than the past three presidential transitions.

Various media outlets continue to report former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue is the most likely choice.

Other candidates that have been interviewed for the post include Texas A&M University President Elsa Murano, former Texas U.S. Representative Henry Bonilla, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, former Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs, former California Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado, Idaho Governor Butch Otter, and North Dakota U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp.

The next secretary will be critical in drafting the 2018 farm bill and representing the nation’s farmers and ranchers on immigration reform and trade policy.