United States House Committee on Agriculture

House Agriculture Committee
Standing committee
Active; ; United States House of Representatives; 117th Congress
History
Formed	May 3, 1820
Leadership
Chair	David Scott (D) ; Since January 3, 2021
Ranking member	Glenn Thompson (R) ; Since January 3, 2021
Vice chair	Alma Adams (D) ; Since January 3, 2019
Structure
Seats	47
Political parties	Majority (26) Democratic (26); Minority (21) Republican (21);
Jurisdiction
Oversight authority	Department of Agriculture
Senate counterpart	Senate Agriculture Committee
Subcommittees
	Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit; Conservation and Forestry; Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations; General Farm Commodities and Risk Management; Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research; Livestock and Foreign Agriculture;
Meeting place
	1300 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
Website
	agriculture.house.gov

The U.S. House 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[]

Members of the 115th Congress House Committee on Agriculture received belt buckles for their service.

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

Members, 117th Congress[]

Majority	Minority
David Scott, Georgia, Chair Jim Costa, California Jim McGovern, Massachusetts Filemon Vela Jr., Texas Alma Adams, North Carolina, Vice Chair Abigail Spanberger, Virginia Jahana Hayes, Connecticut Antonio Delgado, New York Shontel Brown, Ohio (since November 4, 2021) Bobby Rush, Illinois Chellie Pingree, Maine Gregorio Sablan, Northern Mariana Islands^[1] Ann McLane Kuster, New Hampshire Cheri Bustos, Illinois Sean Patrick Maloney, New York Stacey Plaskett, U.S. Virgin Islands Tom O'Halleran, Arizona Salud Carbajal, California Ro Khanna, California Al Lawson, Florida Lou Correa, California Angie Craig, Minnesota Josh Harder, California Cindy Axne, Iowa Kim Schrier, Washington Jimmy Panetta, California Ann Kirkpatrick, Arizona Sanford Bishop, Georgia	Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania, Ranking Member Austin Scott, Georgia Rick Crawford, Arkansas Scott DesJarlais, Tennessee Vicky Hartzler, Missouri Doug LaMalfa, California Rodney Davis, Illinois Rick W. Allen, Georgia David Rouzer, North Carolina Trent Kelly, Mississippi Don Bacon, Nebraska Dusty Johnson, South Dakota Jim Baird, Indiana Jim Hagedorn, Minnesota Chris Jacobs, New York Troy Balderson, Ohio Michael Cloud, Texas Tracey Mann, Kansas Randy Feenstra, Iowa Mary Miller, Illinois Barry Moore, Alabama Kat Cammack, Florida Michelle Fischbach, Minnesota Julia Letlow, Louisiana

Resolutions electing members: H.Res. 9 (Chair), H.Res. 10 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 62 (D), H.Res. 63 (R), H.Res. 92 (D), H.Res. 154 (D), H.Res. 244 (D), H.Res. 311 (R), H.Res. 825 (D)

Subcommittees[]

Subcommittee	Chair^[2]	Ranking Member^[3]
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)

Historical membership rosters[]

115th Congress[]

Majority^[4]	Minority^[5]
Mike Conaway, Texas, Chairman Bob Goodlatte, Virginia Frank Lucas, Oklahoma Steve King, Iowa Mike Rogers, Alabama Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania, Vice Chairman Bob Gibbs, Ohio Austin Scott, Georgia Rick Crawford, Arkansas Scott DesJarlais, Tennessee Vicky Hartzler, Missouri Jeff Denham, California Doug LaMalfa, California Rodney Davis, Illinois Ted Yoho, Florida Rick Allen, Georgia Mike Bost, Illinois David Rouzer, North Carolina Ralph Lee Abraham, Louisiana Trent Kelly, Mississippi James Comer, Kentucky Roger W. Marshall, Kansas Don Bacon, Nebraska John Faso, New York Neal Dunn, Florida Jodey Arrington, Texas	Collin Peterson, Minnesota, Ranking Member David Scott, Georgia Jim Costa, California Tim Walz, Minnesota Marcia Fudge, Ohio Jim McGovern, Massachusetts Filemon Vela Jr., Texas, Vice Ranking Member Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico Ann Kuster, New Hampshire Rick Nolan, Minnesota Cheri Bustos, Illinois Sean Patrick Maloney, New York Stacey Plaskett, U.S. Virgin Islands Alma Adams, North Carolina Dwight Evans, Pennsylvania Al Lawson, Florida Tom O'Halleran, Arizona Jimmy Panetta, California Darren Soto, Florida Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware

116th Congress[]

Majority	Minority
Collin Peterson, Minnesota, Chair David Scott, Georgia Jim Costa, California Marcia Fudge, Ohio Jim McGovern, Massachusetts Filemon Vela Jr., Texas Stacey Plaskett, U.S. Virgin Islands Alma Adams, North Carolina, Vice Chair Abigail Spanberger, Virginia Jahana Hayes, Connecticut Antonio Delgado, New York TJ Cox, California Angie Craig, Minnesota Anthony Brindisi, New York Josh Harder, California Kim Schrier, Washington Chellie Pingree, Maine Cheri Bustos, Illinois Sean Patrick Maloney, New York Salud Carbajal, California Al Lawson, Florida Tom O'Halleran, Arizona Jimmy Panetta, California Ann Kirkpatrick, Arizona Cindy Axne, Iowa Xochitl Torres Small, New Mexico (since February 27, 2020)	Mike Conaway, Texas, Ranking Member Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania Austin Scott, Georgia Rick Crawford, Arkansas Scott DesJarlais, Tennessee Vicky Hartzler, Missouri Doug LaMalfa, California Rodney Davis, Illinois Ted Yoho, Florida Rick Allen, Georgia Mike Bost, Illinois David Rouzer, North Carolina Ralph Abraham, Louisiana Trent Kelly, Mississippi James Comer, Kentucky Roger Marshall, Kansas Don Bacon, Nebraska Neal Dunn, Florida Dusty Johnson, South Dakota Jim Baird, Indiana Jim Hagedorn, Minnesota Chris Jacobs, New York (since July 21, 2020) Troy Balderson, Ohio (since July 30, 2020)

Subcommittees

Subcommittee	Chair^[6]	Ranking Member^[7]
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)

List of chairs[]

Chairman	Party	State	Years
Thomas Forrest	Federalist	Pennsylvania	1820–1821
Josiah Butler	Democratic-Republican	New Hampshire	1821–1823
Stephen Van Rensselaer	National Republican	New York	1823–1829
Ambrose Spencer	National Republican	New York	1829–1831
Erastus Root	Democratic	New York	1831–1833
Abraham Bockee	Democratic	New York	1833–1837
Edmund Deberry	Whig	North Carolina	1837–1845
Joseph H. Anderson	Democratic	New York	1845–1847
Hugh White	Whig	New York	1847–1849
Nathaniel S. Littlefield	Democratic	Maine	1849–1851
John G. Floyd	Democratic	New York	1851–1853
John L. Dawson	Democratic	Pennsylvania	1853–1855
David P. Holloway	Opposition	Indiana	1855–1857
William G. Whiteley	Democratic	Delaware	1857–1859
Martin Butterfield	Republican	New York	1859–1861
Owen Lovejoy	Republican	Illinois	1861–1863
Brutus J. Clay	Union	Kentucky	1863–1865
John Bidwell	Republican	California	1865–1867
Rowland E. Trowbridge	Republican	Michigan	1867–1869
John Thomas Wilson	Republican	Ohio	1869–1873
Charles Hays	Republican	Alabama	1873–1875
John Henry Caldwell	Democratic	Alabama	1875–1877
Augustus W. Cutler	Democratic	New Jersey	1877–1879
James W. Covert	Democratic	New York	1879–1881
Edward K. Valentine	Republican	Nebraska	1881–1883
William H. Hatch	Democratic	Missouri	1883–1889
Edward H. Funston	Republican	Kansas	1889–1891
William H. Hatch	Democratic	Missouri	1891–1895
James W. Wadsworth	Republican	New York	1895–1907
Charles F. Scott	Republican	Kansas	1907–1911
John Lamb	Democratic	Virginia	1911–1913
Asbury F. Lever	Democratic	South Carolina	1913–1919
Gilbert N. Haugen	Republican	Iowa	1919–1931
Marvin Jones	Democratic	Texas	1931–1941
Hampton P. Fulmer	Democratic	South Carolina	1941–1945
John W. Flannagan, Jr.	Democratic	Virginia	1945–1947
Clifford R. Hope	Republican	Kansas	1947–1949
Harold D. Cooley	Democratic	North Carolina	1949–1953
Clifford R. Hope	Republican	Kansas	1953–1955
Harold D. Cooley	Democratic	North Carolina	1955–1967
William R. Poage	Democratic	Texas	1967–1975
Thomas S. Foley	Democratic	Washington	1975–1981
Kika de la Garza	Democratic	Texas	1981–1995
Pat Roberts	Republican	Kansas	1995–1997
Robert F. Smith	Republican	Oregon	1997–1999
Larry Combest	Republican	Texas	1999–2003
Bob Goodlatte	Republican	Virginia	2003–2007
Collin Peterson	Democratic	Minnesota	2007–2011
Frank Lucas	Republican	Oklahoma	2011–2015
Mike Conaway	Republican	Texas	2015–2019
Collin Peterson	Democratic	Minnesota	2019–2021
David Scott	Democratic	Georgia	2021–present

Notes[]

References[]

^ Sablan is an Independent, but caucuses with the Democrats.
^ Chairman Scott Announces House Agriculture Subcommittee Chairs for the 117th Congress
^ Thompson Announces Republican Agriculture Subcommittee Leadership for 117th Congress
^ H.Res. 6 (Chair), H.Res. 51
^ H.Res. 45, H.Res. 52
^ Peterson Announces House Agriculture Subcommittee Chairs for the 116th Congress
^ Conaway Announces Republican Agriculture Subcommittee Leadership for 116th Congress

External links[]

Agriculture Committee Homepage, official website (Archive)
Committee Rules (PDF), Agriculte Committee, official website
House Agriculture Committee. Legislation activity and reports, Congress.gov.
House Agriculture Committee Hearings and Meetings Video. Congress.gov
Past Committee Chairs, Agriculture Committee, official website

[1] Sablan is an Independent, but caucuses with the Democrats.

[2] Chairman Scott Announces House Agriculture Subcommittee Chairs for the 117th Congress

[3] Thompson Announces Republican Agriculture Subcommittee Leadership for 117th Congress

[Majority-4] H.Res. 6 (Chair), H.Res. 51

[Minority-5] H.Res. 45, H.Res. 52

[6] Peterson Announces House Agriculture Subcommittee Chairs for the 116th Congress

[7] Conaway Announces Republican Agriculture Subcommittee Leadership for 116th Congress

[1]

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[3]

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