Senate Republicans look to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court this week, with Democrats poised to force the GOP leadership to make history and invoke the “nuclear” option to break a filibuster.

 

The Senate Agriculture Committee on Thursday approved Sonny Perdue’s nomination for agriculture secretary by a voice vote.

 

Perdue’s nomination now heads to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote. It was not immediately clear when that vote would be held. Perdue, a former two-term GOP governor of Georgia, was supported by every lawmaker present for the vote, except for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who logged her disapproval over Perdue’s record on food stamps, and Sen. David Perdue, Sonny Perdue’s cousin, who abstained.

 

Perdue was announced as President Donald Trump’s pick to run the Department of Agriculture on the eve of Inauguration Day, and the White House’s weeks-long delay in sending his supporting paperwork to Senate Agriculture frustrated many in the food and agriculture industry.

 

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