Perdue seeks to reassure Congress as Trump eyes budget cuts

The nominee for agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, on Thursday sought to reassure farm-state senators fearful about the impact of President Donald Trump’s proposed deep cuts to farm programs, promising to work with Democrats to create jobs in the struggling industry. At his confirmation hearing, the former Georgia governor stressed bipartisanship, reaching out to Democrats who have complained about Trump’s lack of experience in agriculture and his proposed 21 percent cut to the farm budget. Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, expressed frustration with the Trump administration, saying “it’s clear that rural America has been an afterthought.”She said government dollars are important to rural communities as many of them are still struggling to recover from the Great Recession.“Especially during these times of low prices for agriculture and uncertainty around budget, trade and immigration, we need the next secretary to be an unapologetic advocate for all of rural America,” she said.Farm-state Republicans have also criticized the proposed budget cuts and have been wary of the president’s positions against some trade agreements, as trade is a major economic driver in the agricultural industry.