Ag committees will be different in 2027
Elections do matter, and that will be seen in the Senate and House agriculture committees soon.
The Nov. 3 election means changes as Democrats take the reins of both committees. Several key lawmakers will depart, and others will arrive when a new Congress is sworn in Jan. 3.
Among the notable departures from the High Plains states will be ranking member Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Sens. Roger Marshall of Kansas, Joni Ernst of Iowa and Tina Smith of Minnesota.
In the House, notable departures from the High Plains include ranking member Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota and Reps. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Zach Nunn of Iowa, Randy Feenstra of Iowa, Brad Finstad of Minnesota and Monica De La Cruz of Texas.
While the battle for control of Congress creates a partisan perception, the election showed that Americans want their representatives and senators to be accessible and not appear only at scripted town halls. Farmers and ranchers are watching, too. Both parties are aware of what needs to change. While Republicans felt the brunt of the voters’ hammer in 2026, make no mistake: That hammer can swing the other way if Democrats fail to listen.
Lawmakers remaining during the lame-duck session hope a five-year farm bill will be approved before Dec. 31. The latest farm bill, already approved by the House, now awaits consideration by the full Senate. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, will push the chamber to approve it.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman, R-AR, says that if the Senate approves the bill, the two chambers can work toward a compromise that could reach President Donald Trump’s desk for his expected signature.
Plenty of what-ifs remain for the agricultural industry, including demands from renewable fuels advocates who want to see E15 provisions in permanent legislation. The House bill would amend the Clean Air Act to extend the Reid vapor pressure waiver currently used for E10, a blend containing 10% ethanol, to E15, a blend containing 15% ethanol. The change would allow E15 to be sold nationwide year-round without summer restrictions. It also includes changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard’s small refinery exemption rules.
The Senate Agriculture Committee will have to grapple with that issue because it was not included in the committee’s bill.
Other issues facing the next Congress will include reforms to immigration that serve the agricultural industry, which needs foreign labor, and a path to citizenship for those in good standing.
More tests lie ahead, and only time will tell whether a phrase a retired Extension agent once told me — “If you’ll work with me, I’ll work with you” — will prove fruitful. Americans are capable of putting aside personal differences to accomplish the greater good, and statesmen in both parties know that, too. The right change and tone must come from both parties.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
