Incoming House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX) announced this week that he has restructured the committee. There will now be six subcommittees compared with the previous five, including a new subcommittee devoted purely to nutrition. Notably, Chairman Conaway has also opted to include livestock and foreign agriculture into one subcommittee.
There will be eight new Republican Members on the House Agriculture Committee:
- Rep. Ralph Abraham (LA-5)
- Rep. Rick Allen (GA-12)
- Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12)
- Rep. Tom Emmer (MN-6)
- Rep. John Moolenaar (MI-4)
- Congressmen Elect Dan Newhouse (WA-4),
- Rep. David Rouzer (NC-12).
- Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-2), ), ),
According to the office of Chairman Conaway, the six subcommittees, their mission areas, and subcommittee chairs are as follows:
General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
Chair: Rick Crawford (R-AR)
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. Includes the Commodity Credit Corporation; risk management policies and statutes, including Federal Crop Insurance; and producer data and privacy issues. Oversight: departmental, agency, and office oversight and investigations with respect to the mission areas of the Risk Management Agency and applicable operations of the Farm Service Agency.
Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit
Chair: Austin Scott (R-GA)
Policies, statutes, and markets relating to commodity exchanges; agricultural credit; rural development; energy; and rural electrification.
Conservation and Forestry
Chair: Glenn Thompson (R-PA)
Policies and statutes relating to resource conservation, forestry, and all forests under the jurisdiction of the Agriculture Committee.
Nutrition
Chair: Jackie Walorski (R-IN
Policies and statutes relating to nutrition, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and domestic commodity distribution and consumer initiatives.
Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research
Chair: Rodney Davis (R-IL)
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; pest and disease management; bioterrorism; adulteration and quarantine matters; research, education, and extension; and biotechnology.
Livestock and Foreign Agriculture
Chair: Rep. Elect – David Rouzer (R-NC)
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; foreign agricultural assistance and trade promotion.
