Agri-Pulse

Senate Ag sets subcommittee rosters

By Philip Brasher

The Senate Agriculture Committee on Friday announced the organization of its subcommittees for the new Congress. 

The “subcommittees will play an important role in the committee’s efforts to hear from stakeholders across the spectrum with interest in the farm bill, and other important issues in the committee’s jurisdiction,” committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and ranking Republican John Boozman of Arkansas said in a joint statement. 

Boozman has told reporters that subcommittees will play a larger role in conducting oversight hearings during this Congress. 

Here are the subcommittees and rosters for each of them:

The Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade will oversee commodity programs, crop insurance, international food aid and trade promotion programs. 
Democratic members: Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., (chair), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. 
Republican members: Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., (ranking member), Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa

The Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy will oversee programs in USDA's Rural Development mission area. 
Democrats: Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., (chair), Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Smith, Durbin, and Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M. 
Republicans: Tuberville (ranking member), Ernst,  Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., Grassley, and Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb.

The Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources is responsible for conservation programs, forestry, regulation of pesticides and agriculture biotechnology.
Democrats: Bennet (chair), Klobuchar, Smith, Luján, Warnock and Welch.  
Republicans: Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., (ranking member),  McConnell, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., Hyde-Smith, and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.

The Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research will oversee nutrition programs, organic production and agricultural research. 
Democrats: Fetterman (chair), Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Klobuchar, Gillibrand. Booker and Warnock. 
Republicans: Braun (ranking member), McConnell, Ernst, Marshall and Tuberville.

The Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Local Food Systems, and Food Safety and Security is responsible for livestock and poultry programs, food safety regulation and support for local and regional agriculture.
Democrats: Gillibrand (chair), Brown, Durbin, Booker, Luján and Welch. 
Republicans: Hoeven (ranking member), Hyde-Smith, Marshall, Thune and Fischer.