House Ag Committee selects new chairman

The U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee will see history-making new leadership in the 117th Congress. The House Democratic Caucus elected Rep. David Scott, D-GA, to the position on Dec. 3. Scott will be the first Black chairman of the House Ag Committee, according to outgoing Chairman Collin Peterson, D-MN.

“He will make a great chairman and I’m proud to pass the reins to him,” Peterson said in a release. “As a long-time House Ag member and leader, David knows very well the impact the committee’s work has on the lives of farmers, ranchers, rural residents, and consumers in communities across the country. I’m confident we’re all in good and capable hands.”

Rep. Glen Thompson, R-PA, was elected to serve as the committee’s ranking member. Peterson cited his experience in dairy and conservation issues, as well as his experience on the ag committee during the 2018 farm bill deliberations as good for agriculture.

Already, congratulations are coming from many agriculture and commodity groups. The National Cotton Council Chairman Kent Fountain, a Georgia cotton producer and ginner, applauded Scott’s election to fill Peterson’s chairmanship. Fountain touted Scott’s lengthy service on the committee, his work on three previous farm bills and his knowledge of production agriculture and the challenges of today’s farmers as serving him well in the new leadership role.

New leadership in House and Senate Ag Committees

U.S. farmers are closely watching the jockeying among Democratic and Republican caucuses for agriculture committee leadership for both the House and Senate, considering recent retirements and election losses. Outgoing House Ag Chair Peterson was defeated in this most recent election and ranking member Rep. Mike Conaway, R-TX, announced his retirement from Congress. Senate Ag Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-KS, retired in 2020. That currently leaves just ranking member Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-MI, with leadership experience between the two committees.

The Senate majority, and therefore which party will hold committee chairmanship and ranking member status, will not be determined until after the Georgia runoff election Jan. 5. It is expected among many in D.C. that Sen. Stabenow will return to the lead the Senate Ag Committee as either ranking member or chairman, and Sen. John Boozman, R-AR, is likely to succeed Sen. Roberts as either chairman or ranking member.

Jennifer M. Latzke can be reached at 620-227-1807 or [email protected].