Former Georgia governor confirmed as agriculture secretary

The Senate voted overwhelmingly Monday to confirm former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue as agriculture secretary. President Donald Trump nominated Perdue shortly before his inauguration in January, but administration officials took weeks to prepare Perdue’s ethics paperwork. He eventually agreed to step down from several companies he owns to avoid any conflicts of interest. Perdue is the first southerner to hold the nation’s top agriculture post for more than two decades. During his confirmation hearings, Perdue pledged to advocate for rural America, even as Trump called for cuts to some farm programs. Perdue also promised to reach out to Democrats, which might have helped win him bipartisan support. While some of Trump’s Cabinet appointees won confirmation by the thinest of margins, Perdue’s vote was 87-11.