U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat, has been added to the House Agriculture Committee, said Chairman David Scott, D-GA, on June 14 as he welcomed the Third District congresswoman.
“I am excited to welcome Congresswoman Sharice Davids as our newest member of the House Agriculture Committee,” Scott said. “I am pleased to welcome her voice to our committee and am looking forward to working with Congresswoman Davids as she begins her time as a member of the House Agriculture Committee.”
Davids will continue to serve Kansans as vice chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and on the Small Business Committee, chairing the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access.
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve Kansans on the Agriculture Committee, especially as we gear up to consider the next farm bill. Kansas farms are often small businesses who play a vital role in our state’s economy, history, and future,” said Davids in a news release from her office. “I look forward to the chance to work on the major issues facing farmers and ranchers in our state, including reducing costs and expanding into new markets for our world-class agricultural products.”
Rich Felts, president of Kansas Farm Bureau, said, “I’m pleased to see Rep. Sharice Davids has been assigned to the House Agriculture Committee for the remainder of this session. Kansas City and the surrounding region has a long and storied history in production agriculture and agribusiness, and I know Rep. Davids will be a strong voice on the committee for her constituents and Kansas agriculture.”
The agriculture committee oversees the U.S. Department of Agriculture and has jurisdiction over all aspects of agriculture, forestry, nutrition, water conservation, and other agriculture-related fields. Davids joins Rep. Tracey Mann, R-KS, of the First District, on the committee as members prepare to consider the 2023 farm bill, a package of legislation passed about every five years that includes several critically important agriculture, conservation, nutrition, and trade programs. The recommendation now goes to the full Democratic Caucus for approval.
On June 14, Davids voted to pass the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, a major legislative priority of the American Farm Bureau Federation that addresses the backlog at our ports that is hurting Kansas farmers and ranchers.