Summary
Mission:
The Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of some federal agencies, and it can recommend funding appropriations for various governmental agencies, programs, and activities, as defined by House rules.
Senate counterpart: Committee on Agriculture
Subcommittees:
- Commodity Markets, Digital Assets and Rural Development
- Conservation, Research and Biotechnology
- Forestry
- General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit
- Livestock, Dairy and Poultry
- Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture and Horticulture
Chair: Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania (R)
Ranking Member: David Scott, Georgia (D)
Staff Director Majority: Parish Braden
Staff Director Minority: Anne Simmons
Meeting Location: 1301 Longworth House Office Building; Washington, DC 20515 (202-225-2171)
Featured Video: 21st Century Food Systems – Aug. 3, 2021
Web Links
News
Press Releases and news can be found here at the committee website.
Newsletter Signup — Subscribe to receive email updates on the Committee’s work in Congress.
Successful Farming, – September 14, 2021
The Democratic-controlled House Agriculture Committee approved its $66 billion part of President Biden’s $3.5 trillion “build back better” bill on a party-line vote Monday, with Chairman David Scott saying he was confident that $28 billion will be added later for land stewardship and climate mitigation by farmers. Meanwhile, House Democrats said they would not alter a tax break that helps farmers pass land from generation to generation.
Farm groups had adamantly opposed any change in “stepped-up basis,” which reduces liability for capital gains taxes on inherited property. In April, President Biden proposed stricter application of the capital gains tax with a focus on millionaires. He said the proposal would not increase taxes on heirs who keep the family farm running.
About
Overview
Role of the Agriculture Committee
The Agriculture Committee is not generally considered to be a particularly powerful one. However, it is an important committee to be on for Representatives from many rural areas where agriculture is the main industry. The committee has jurisdiction over agriculture, forestry, nutrition, water conservation, and other agriculture-related fields.
Jurisdiction
As prescribed by House Rules, the Committee on Agriculture’s jurisdiction includes the following:
- Adulteration of seeds, insect pests, and protection of birds and animals in forest reserves
- Agriculture generally
- Agricultural and industrial chemistry
- Agricultural colleges and experiment stations
- Agricultural economics and research
- Agricultural education extension services
- Agricultural production, marketing and stabilization of prices of agricultural products, and commodities (excluding foreign distribution)
- Animal industry and diseases of animals
- Commodity exchanges
- Crop insurance and soil conservation
- Dairy industry
- Entomology and plant quarantine
- Extension of farm credit and farm security
- Inspection of livestock, poultry, meat products, and seafood and seafood products
- Forestry in general and forest reserves other than those created from the public domain
- Human nutrition and home economics
- Plant industry, soils, and agricultural engineering
- Rural electrification
- Rural developments
- Water conservation related to activities of the Department of Agriculture
Source: Wikipedia
Members
REPUBLICAN MEMBERS (Majority)
Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania, Chair
Frank Lucas, Oklahoma
Austin Scott, Georgia
Rick Crawford, Arkansas
Scott DesJarlais, Tennessee
Doug LaMalfa, California
David Rouzer, North Carolina
Trent Kelly, Mississippi
Don Bacon, Nebraska
Mike Bost, Illinois
Dusty Johnson, South Dakota
Jim Baird, Indiana
Tracey Mann, Kansas
Randy Feenstra, Iowa
Mary Miller, Illinois
Barry Moore, Alabama
Kat Cammack, Florida
Brad Finstad, Minnesota
John Rose, Tennessee
Ronny Jackson, Texas
Marc Molinaro, New York
Monica De La Cruz, Texas
Nick Langworthy, New York
John Duarte, California
Zach Nunn, Iowa
Mark Alford, Missouri
Derrick Van Orden, Wisconsin
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Oregon
Max Miller, Ohio
DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS (Minority)
David Scott, Georgia, Ranking Member
Jim Costa, California
Jim McGovern, Massachusetts
Alma Adams, North Carolina
Abigail Spanberger, Virginia
Jahana Hayes, Connecticut
Shontel Brown, Ohio
Stacey Plaskett, Virgin Islands (until February 28, 2023)
Sharice Davids, Kansas
Elissa Slotkin, Michigan
Yadira Caraveo, Colorado
Andrea Salinas, Oregon
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Washington
Don Davis, North Carolina
Jill Tokuda, Hawaii
Nikki Budzinski, Illinois
Eric Sorensen, Illinois
Gabe Vasquez, New Mexico
Jasmine Crockett, Texas
Jonathan Jackson, Illinois
Greg Casar, Texas
Chellie Pingree, Maine
Salud Carbajal, California
Angie Craig, Minnesota
Darren Soto, Florida
Sanford Bishop, Georgia (from March 8, 2023)
History
The Agriculture Committee was created on May 3, 1820, after Lewis Williams of North Carolina sponsored a resolution to create the committee and give agricultural issues equal weight with commercial and manufacturing interests. The committee originally consisted of seven members, from the states of Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia. Thomas Forrest of Pennsylvania was the first chairman. The Agriculture Committee remained a seven-member body until 1835, when two more members were added. It was not until 1871 that the next two members were added. Since then it has gradually grown to its current size of 46 members.
The U.S. Senate counterpart to the House Agriculture Committee, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, was created on December 9, 1825.
Source: Wikipedia
Contact
Email: Agriculture Committee
Locations
House Committee on Agriculture
1301 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2171
Fax: (202) 225-8510
Web Links
- Government Site
- House Telephone Directory – Search Agriculture
- USDA
- OnAir Post-Agriculture Committee
- Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
- Chair, Glenn Thompson
- Ranking Member, David Scott
- Wikipedia
- YouTube
Subcommittees
Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology
Source: Wikipedia
Jurisdiction
Policies and statutes related to resource conservation; pest and disease management, including pesticides; bioterrorism; adulteration and quarantine matters; research, education, and extension; biotechnology; and related oversight of such issues.
REPUBLICAN MEMBERS (Majority)
Chair: Jim Baird, Indiana
Frank Lucas, Oklahoma
Mary Miller, Illinois
Kat Cammack, Florida
Brad Finstad, Minnesota
John Duarte, California
Mark Alford, Missouri
DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS (Minority)
Ranking Member: Abigail Spanberger, Virginia
Sharice Davids, Kansas
Elissa Slotkin, Michigan
Nikki Budzinski, Illinois
Eric Sorensen, Illinois
Jill Tokuda, Hawaii
Gabe Vasquez, New Mexico
Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development
Source: Wikipedia
Jurisdiction
Policies, statutes, and markets relating to commodity exchanges; rural development; energy; rural electrification; and related oversight of such issues.
REPUBLICAN MEMBERS (Majority)
Chair: Dusty Johnson, South Dakota
Frank Lucas, Oklahoma
Austin Scott, Georgia
David Rouzer, North Carolina
Don Bacon, Nebraska
Tracey Mann, Kansas
John Rose, Tennessee
Marc Molinaro, New York
Nick Langworthy, New York
Zach Nunn, Iowa
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Oregon
Max Miller, Ohio
DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS (Minority)
Ranking Member: Yadira Caraveo, Colorado
Don Davis, North Carolina
Jim Costa, California
Andrea Salinas, Oregon
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Washington
Nikki Budzinski, Illinois
Greg Casar, Texas
Jonathan Jackson, Illinois
Angie Craig, Minnesota
Jasmine Crockett, Texas
Conservation and Forestry
Source: Wikipedia
Jurisdiction
The subcommittee is responsible for policies and statutes relating to resource conservation, forestry, and all forests under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Agriculture.
REPUBLICAN MEMBERS (Majority)
Chair: Doug LaMalfa, California
Trent Kelly, Mississippi
Barry Moore, Alabama
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Oregon
DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS (Minority)
Ranking Member: Andrea Salinas, Oregon
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Washington
Gabe Vasquez, New Mexico
General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
Source: Wikipedia
Jurisdiction
Policies, statutes, and markets relating to commodities including barley, cotton, cottonseed, corn, grain sorghum, honey, mohair, oats, other oilseeds, peanuts, pulse crops, rice, soybeans, sugar, wheat, and wool; the Commodity Credit Corporation; risk management policies and statutes, including Federal Crop Insurance; producer data and privacy issues; agricultural credit; and related oversight of such issues.
REPUBLICAN MEMBERS (Majority)
Chair: Austin Scott, Georgia
Rick Crawford, Arkansas
Doug LaMalfa, California
David Rouzer, North Carolina
Dusty Johnson, South Dakota
Mary Miller, Illinois
Barry Moore, Alabama
Brad Finstad, Minnesota
John Rose, Tennessee
Ronny Jackson, Texas
Monica De La Cruz, Texas
John Duarte, California
Zach Nunn, Iowa
Mark Alford, Missouri
DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS (Minority)
Ranking Member: Shontel Brown, Ohio
Sharice Davids, Kansas
Don Davis, North Carolina
Eric Sorensen, Illinois
Angie Craig, Minnesota
Jasmine Crockett, Texas
Nikki Budzinski, Illinois
Alma Adams, North Carolina
Salud Carbajal, California
Livestock and Foreign Agriculture
Source: Wikipedia
Jurisdiction
Policies, statutes, and markets relating to all livestock, poultry, dairy, and seafood, including all products thereof; the inspection, marketing, and promotion of such commodities and products; aquaculture; animal welfare; grazing; and related oversight of such issues.
REPUBLICAN MEMBERS (Majority)
Chair: Tracey Mann, Kansas
Scott DesJarlais, Tennessee
Trent Kelly, Mississippi
Don Bacon, Nebraska
Jim Baird, Indiana
Randy Feenstra, Iowa
Barry Moore, Alabama
Ronny Jackson, Texas
Marc Molinaro, New York
Mark Alford, Missouri
Derrick Van Orden, Wisconsin
DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS (Minority)
Ranking Member: Jim Costa, California
Abigail Spanberger, Virginia
Jahana Hayes, Connecticut
Yadira Caraveo, Colorado
Jill Tokuda, Hawaii
Gabe Vasquez, New Mexico
Chellie Pingree, Maine
Darren Soto, Florida
Nutrition, Oversight and Department Operations
Source: Wikipedia
Jurisdiction
Policies, statutes, and markets relating to horticulture, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and ornamentals; bees; and organic agriculture; policies and statutes relating to marketing and promotion orders; policies and statutes relating to nutrition, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and domestic commodity distribution and consumer initiative; policies and statutes related to foreign agricultural assistance and trade promotion; and related oversight of such issues.
REPUBLICAN MEMBERS (Majority)
Chair: Brad Finstad, Minnesota
Austin Scott, Georgia
Tracey Mann, Kansas
Scott DesJarlais, Tennessee
Jim Baird, Indiana
John Rose, Tennessee
Marc Molinaro, New York
Monica De La Cruz, Texas
Nick Langworthy, New York
Derrick Van Orden, Wisconsin
Max Miller, Ohio
DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS (Minority)
Ranking Member: ahana Hayes, Connecticut
Jim McGovern, Massachusetts
Alma Adams, North Carolina
Jill Tokuda, Hawaii
Jasmine Crockett, Texas
Jonathan Jackson, Illinois
Greg Casar, Texas
Shontel Brown, Ohio
Andrea Salinas, Oregon
Yadira Caraveo, Colorado
Legislation
Bills
Source: Committee website
Hearings
Source: Committee website
More Information
Documents
Source: Committee website
