The U.S. Senate has formally confirmed the nomination of George Ervin “Sonny” Perdue III to serve as the 31st Secretary of Agriculture with a final vote of 87 to 11.

Perdue is an agribusinessman, veterinarian, state legislator, and former governor of Georgia.  He grew up working on his family farm in central Georgia, making him the fourth agriculture secretary who has worked as a farmer.  His USDA biography credits the family farm for shaping Sonny Perdue into the person he is today. “He has lived and breathed the exhilaration of a great crop and the despair and devastation of a drought. He learned by experience what his father told him as a child, “If you take care of the land, the land will take care of you.””

Comments of senators supporting Perdue’s confirmation on the floor Monday.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) – [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/mcconnell-perdue-4-24.mp3″ text=”McConnell/Perdue”]

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) – [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/perdue-roberts.mp3″ text=”Roberts/Perdue”]

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) – [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/perdue-stabenow.mp3″ text=”Stabenow/Perdue”]

Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) – [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/perdue-tester.mp3″ text=”Tester/Perdue”]

Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) – [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/perdue-isakson.mp3″ text=”Isakson/Perdue”]