Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue testified at his first hearing as the new head of USDA. The House Agriculture Committee welcomed Perdue to Capitol Hill Wednesday to testify on the “State of the Rural Economy.”

Perdue acknowledged that the current state of the rural economy is challenging. “Our farm economy is down about a 50 percent drop in net income from where it was in 2013 as you all were contemplating the ’14 farm bill,” said Perdue in his opening statement. “We’re in some dire straits out there.”

The new secretary submitted seven pages of written testimony which focused on his proposed “realignment” of USDA. “My goal is to make it the most effective, most efficient, the best managed, the best value agency in the United States government,” said Perdue.

Download Secretary Perdue’s opening statement here: Perdue at House Ag Committee hearing