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Perdue keeps his cards close
Story Date: 4/11/2018
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Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 4/10/18
Last week, the president directed Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to work with Cabinet officials to shield farmers from any retaliatory actions. Perdue, for his part, was being coy on Monday on what may be in the works.
"Our friends in media have asked me what that means, and what I'm going to do. I don't think the president has laid all his cards on the table, and neither am I," Perdue said during a speech at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's annual legislative conference. He added that it wouldn't be "prudent to giveaway our playbook" to China while the two countries are still negotiating.
Censky says all options on table: Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Steve Censky, meanwhile, told reporters Monday that USDA is looking at all of its potential options, including by buying up commodities through the Commodity Credit Corporation. "We are looking at all of our authorities ... certainly utilizing the broad authorities that we have under the Commodity Credit Corporation and the Commodity Credit Corporation's Charter Act," he said, referring to the law that governs the CCC.
Trump names new CCC board members: In related news, the White House announced Monday night that the president was appointing Censky as vice chairman of the Commodity Credit Corporation's board. Also appointed to the board were Ted McKinney, undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs; Greg Ibach, undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs; Bill Northey, undersecretary for farm and foreign agricultural service; and Stephen Vaden, USDA deputy general counsel.
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