The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Thursday moved the Trump Administration one step closer to a full cabinet by voting to favorably report nominee Sonny Perdue to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, which means he will now be considered by the full Senate for confirmation.

Committee chairman Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) is pleased Perdue’s nomination is closer to the finish line. “Our farmers and ranchers have been waiting too long for this important position to be filled,” said Roberts. “We need to get Governor Perdue down to USDA to get to work.”

Governor Perdue has the bipartisan support of six past agriculture secretaries and more than 650 agriculture groups. He also has the support of biofuels organizations including the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA).

“Gov. Perdue appreciates the challenge facing farmers today, knows that building demand will be essential to rural economic stability, and certainly understands the importance of value-added markets like ethanol,” said RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen. “We look forward to Governor Perdue receiving full Senate approval and will work with him and others in the administration to continue the growth and evolution of the U.S. biofuels industry.”

There is no vote scheduled yet for the full senate. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) was the only member of the committee to vote against Perdue, due to her concerns about how he might unfavorably impact food assistance programs at USDA.