House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., on Thursday reorganized the subcommittees and named six chairmen of the panels.
Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., chairs the General Farm Products, Risk Management and Credit Subcommittee, which oversees production programs and crop insurance. USDA’s Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency will be under the subcommittee’s oversight.
Scott was also appointed vice-chairman of the full committee.
Rep. Jim Byrd, R-Ind., will chair the Conservation, Research and Biotechnology Subcommittee, which oversees USDA’s conservation and research programs as well as the Environmental Protection Agency’s pesticide registration process.
Representative Brad Finstad, Republican of Minnesota, who is serving his first full term in Congress, chairs the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture and Horticulture. Its broad jurisdiction includes trade agreements, trade promotion programs, international food aid programs, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The sub-committee will be responsible for food distribution programs and marketing and promotion programs related to fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops.
Rep. Tracy Mann, R-Kan., will chair the Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Subcommittee, which oversees livestock, dairy and poultry markets. Federal Dairy Policy; USDA’s implementation of the Packers and Stockyards Act; and programs designed to prevent animal diseases.
Rep. Dusty Johnson, RS.D.., chairs the Commodity Markets, Digital Assets and Rural Development Subcommittee, which oversees the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as well as USDA’s rural development programs.
Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., will chair the Forestry Subcommittee, which oversees the Forest Service.
Nutrition programs were previously overseen by a subcommittee responsible for USDA’s overall oversight, and livestock programs were overseen by a panel overseeing trade and foreign agriculture programs.
Thompson said. Agri-Pulse Democrats can’t finish organizing the committee until they fill the three remaining seats on the full panel on Thursday. Potential committee members are awaiting waivers that would allow them to serve on the AG while retaining other committee assignments.
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