United States House Committee on Agriculture
{{short description|Standing committee of the United States House of Representatives}}
{{Infobox U.S. congressional committee
| name = House Agriculture Committee
| type = standing
| chamber = house
| congress = 119th
| status = active
| formed = May 3, 1820
| chair = Glenn Thompson
| chair_party = R
| chair_since = January 3, 2023
| ranking_member = Angie Craig
| rm_party = D
| rm_since = January 3, 2025
| seats = 52
| majority1 = R
| majority1_seats = 28
| minority1 = D
| minority1_seats = 24
| policy_areas =
| oversight = Department of Agriculture
| counterpart = Senate Agriculture Committee
| subcommittees =
| meeting_place = 1300 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
| meeting_image = Longworth House 1300.JPG
| meeting_img_size =
| website = {{url|agriculture.house.gov}} (Republican)
{{url|democrats-agriculture.house.gov}} (Democratic)
}}
The United States House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, or Agriculture Committee is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The House 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.
History of the committee
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.
Role of the 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:
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- 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
{{colend}}
Members, 119th Congress
{{United States House of Representatives}}
{{United States House of Representatives}}
| class=wikitable |
| Majority
! Minority |
|---|
{{party shading/Republican}} valign=top |
| {{party shading/Democratic}} valign=top |
|
Resolutions electing members: {{USBill|119|HRes|13}} (Chair), {{USBill|119|HRes|14}} (Ranking Member), {{USBill|119|HRes|42}} (R), {{USBill|119|HRes|44}} (D), {{USBill|119|HRes|162}} (D)
Subcommittees
| class="wikitable" |
| Subcommittee |
|---|
| General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit
| Austin Scott (R-GA) | Sharice Davids (D-KS) |
| Forestry and Horticulture
| Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) | Andrea Salinas (D-OR) |
| Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology
| Frank Lucas (R-OK) | Jill Tokuda (D-HI) |
| Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture
| Brad Finstad (R-MN) | Jahana Hayes (D-CT) |
| Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
| Tracey Mann (R-KS) | Jim Costa (D-CA) |
| Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development
| Dusty Johnson (R-SD) | Don Davis (D-NC) |
Historical membership rosters
=115th Congress=
| class=wikitable |
| Majority |
|---|
{{party shading/Republican}} valign=top |
| {{party shading/Democratic}} valign=top |
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=116th Congress=
| class=wikitable |
| Majority
! Minority |
|---|
{{party shading/Democratic}} valign=top |
| {{party shading/Republican}} valign=top |
|
;Subcommittees
| class="wikitable" |
| Subcommittee |
|---|
| Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit
| David Scott (D-GA) | Austin Scott (R-GA) |
| Conservation and Forestry
| Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) | Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) |
| Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations
| Marcia Fudge (D-OH) | Dusty Johnson (R-SD) |
| General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
| Filemon Vela Jr. (D-TX) | Glenn Thompson (R-PA) |
| Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research
| Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) | Neal Dunn (R-FL) |
| Livestock and Foreign Agriculture
| Jim Costa (D-CA) | David Rouzer (R-NC) |
=117th Congress =
Resolutions electing members: {{USBill|117|HRes|9}} (Chair), {{USBill|117|HRes|10}} (Ranking Member), {{USBill|117|HRes|62}} (D), {{USBill|117|HRes|63}} (R), {{USBill|117|HRes|92}} (D), {{USBill|117|HRes|154}} (D), {{USBill|117|HRes|244}} (D), {{USBill|117|HRes|311}} (R), {{USBill|117|HRes|825}} (D), {{USBill|117|HRes|1173}} (D), {{USBill|117|HRes|1197}} (R), {{USBill|117|HRes|1340}} (R)
;Subcommittees
| class="wikitable" |
| Subcommittee |
|---|
| Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research
| Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) | Jim Baird (R-IN) |
| Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit
| Antonio Delgado (D-NY) | Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) |
| Conservation and Forestry
| Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) | Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) |
| General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
| Cheri Bustos (D-IL) | Austin Scott (R-GA) |
| Livestock and Foreign Agriculture
| Jim Costa (D-CA) | Dusty Johnson (R-SD) |
| Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations
| Jahana Hayes (D-CT) | Don Bacon (R-NE) |
= 118th Congress =
{{United States House of Representatives}}
| class=wikitable |
| Majority
! Minority |
|---|
{{party shading/Republican}} valign=top |
| {{party shading/Democratic}} valign=top |
|
Resolutions electing members: {{USBill|118|HRes|14}} (Chair), {{USBill|118|HRes|15}} (Ranking Member), {{USBill|118|HRes|79}} (D), {{USBill|118|HRes|80}} (R), {{USBill|118|HRes|164}} (D), {{USBill|118|HRes|179}} (R), {{USBill|118|HRes|205}} (D)
;Subcommittees
| class="wikitable" |
| Subcommittee |
|---|
| Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development
| Dusty Johnson (R-SD) |Yadira Caraveo (D-CO) |
| Conservation, Research and Biotechnology
| Jim Baird (R-IN) |Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) |
| Forestry
| Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) |Andrea Salinas (D-OR) |
| General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit
| Austin Scott (R-GA) |Shontel Brown (D-OH) |
| Livestock, Dairy and Poultry
| Tracey Mann (R-KS) |Jim Costa (D-CA) |
| Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture and Horticulture
| Brad Finstad (R-MN) |Jahana Hayes (D-CT) |
List of chairs
| class=wikitable | |||
| Chairman | Party | State | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| {{Party shading/Federalist}}
| 1820–1821 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}}
| 1821–1823 | |||
| {{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
| New York | 1823–1829 | |||
| {{Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian}}
| New York | 1829–1831 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| New York | 1831–1833 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| New York | 1833–1837 | |||
| {{Party shading/Whig}}
| Whig | 1837–1845 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| New York | 1845–1847 | |||
| {{Party shading/Whig}}
| Whig | New York | 1847–1849 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| Maine | 1849–1851 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| New York | 1851–1853 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 1853–1855 | |||
| {{Party shading/Opposition}}
| Indiana | 1855–1857 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| Delaware | 1857–1859 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| New York | 1859–1861 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| Illinois | 1861–1863 | |||
| {{Party shading/Unionist}}
| Kentucky | 1863–1865 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| 1865–1867 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| Michigan | 1867–1869 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| Ohio | 1869–1873 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| Alabama | 1873–1875 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| Alabama | 1875–1877 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 1877–1879 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| New York | 1879–1881 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| Nebraska | 1881–1883 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| Missouri | 1883–1889 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| Kansas | 1889–1891 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| Missouri | 1891–1895 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| New York | 1895–1907 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| Kansas | 1907–1911 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| Virginia | 1911–1913 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 1913–1919 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| Iowa | 1919–1931 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| Texas | 1931–1941 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 1941–1945 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| Virginia | 1945–1947 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| Kansas | 1947–1949 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 1949–1953 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| Kansas | 1953–1955 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 1955–1967 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| Texas | 1967–1975 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 1975–1981 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| Texas | 1981–1995 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| Kansas | 1995–1997 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| Oregon | 1997–1999 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| Texas | 1999–2003 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| Virginia | 2003–2007 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 2007–2011 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| Oklahoma | 2011–2015 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| Texas | 2015–2019 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| 2019–2021 | |||
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}
| Georgia | 2021–2023 | |||
| {{Party shading/Republican}}
| 2023–present |
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
See also
External links
{{commons category}}
- [https://agriculture.house.gov Agriculture Committee Homepage], official website ([https://www.loc.gov/item/lcwa00hsag00/ Archive])
- [https://agriculture.house.gov/about/rules.htm Committee Rules] (PDF), Agriculture Committee, official website
- [https://www.congress.gov/committee/house-agriculture/hsag00 House Agriculture Committee]. Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov.
- [https://www.congress.gov/committees/video/house-agriculture/hsag00 House Agriculture Committee Hearings and Meetings Video]. Congress.gov
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090129231321/http://agriculture.house.gov/inside/history/chairmen.html Past Committee Chairs], Agriculture Committee, official website
{{United States congressional committees}}
{{Authority control}}