Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353

Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement after meeting with the nominee for Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, former Governor Sonny Perdue:

"I had an excellent conversation with Sonny Perdue today. Coming from Georgia, he has a special understanding of the needs of southern farmers, and I'm confident he'll fight for Arkansas agricultural producers. In fact, he'd be only the third secretary in our history to have actually worked in agriculture in his own right. During our meeting, Governor Perdue and I discussed opening up more federal lands to timber production in Arkansas and rolling back regulations that have been impeding our poultry industry. Sonny Perdue has a well-respected record in both the private and public sectors, and I look forward to supporting his nomination."