Secretary Perdue to Testify Before Senate Ag Appropriations Subcommittee

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue will give testimony to the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Tuesday.  The subcommittee will hold a hearing on President Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2018.  Perdue, Michel Young, the Department of Agriculture budget officer who is also acting deputy secretary, and Robb Johansson, USDA's chief economist, are scheduled to testify.

The budget proposal would cut funding for trade promotion programs and eliminate more than 230 jobs geared toward boosting U.S. exports.  These proposed cuts follow a promise from the Secretary that the administration would focus on expanding foreign market access to help farmers.  The plan also proposes to cut $193 billion from SNAP over the next decade, and makes cuts to farm subsidies.

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