Washington, D.C. --Today, the House Agriculture Committee hosted U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue as he briefed members on the current state of the rural economy and the agency's recently released farm bill priorities. Following the hearing, Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) made the below remarks:

 "We are writing this farm bill under dramatically different circumstances than we were four years ago, when prices were high and rural America was thriving. Today, a host of factors, including natural disasters and high foreign subsidies, tariff and non-tariff barriers have all contributed to chronically depressed prices. Sec. Perdue and his team understand the hard times facing farmers and ranchers across this country and will be helpful allies in getting this bill across the finish line. I thank Sec. Perdue for coming before the committee today and look forward to continuing to work together to move legislation that restores certainty to all of rural America."

Written testimony provided by the witness from today's hearing is linked below.

Click here (https://agriculture.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=6273-4) for more information, including:

Chairman Conaway's opening statement (https://agriculture.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=6274-4) and the archived webcast (https://agriculture.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=6275-4).

Witness:

The Honorable Sonny Perdue (https://agriculture.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=6276-4), Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.