House Agriculture Committee opens 119th Congress, sets five-year farm bill as top priority and adopts rules

The House Committee on Agriculture convened its organizational meeting for the 119th Congress and set passage of a bipartisan five-year farm bill as its top priority, adopted committee rules and an authorization and oversight plan, and authorized the chairman to act on committee staff and administrative matters.

Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, opened the meeting and said the committee would “spend a lot of time together in this hearing room” working to deliver “real solutions for our farm families, our rural communities, and ultimately, every American family.” Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-Minn.) said a new farm bill must strengthen the farm safety net and provide opportunities for new and beginning farmers, adding, “Bipartisanship is the only way we get this done.”

The committee’s stated top policy priority is passage of a bipartisan five-year farm bill that the chairman described as aimed at restoring the farm safety net, prioritizing “voluntarily locally led and incentive-based conservation programs,” expanding market access and trade promotion, increasing transparency and accountability in nutrition programs, and revitalizing rural communities. The chairman also said the committee will work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expedite disbursement of economic aid referenced as the American Relief Act.

During the brief meeting the committee approved three formal items: authorization for the chairman, in consultation with the ranking member, to act on matters affecting committee staff and administration; adoption of the committee rules for the 119th Congress (noting they are the 118th Congress rules with en bloc amendments); and adoption of the committee’s authorization and oversight plan required under House rules. The oversight plan will be forwarded simultaneously to the Committee on House Oversight and Accountability, the Committee on House Administration, and the Committee on Appropriations “no later than March 1,” as required by House rule 10 clause 2(d)(1).

Votes at a glance: • Motion to authorize the chairman, in consultation with the ranking member, to act for the committee in matters affecting staff and administration — mover: Ranking Member Angie Craig; second: not specified; outcome: adopted (voice vote; no roll-call tally specified). • Motion to approve the Committee rules for the 119th Congress (rules from the 118th Congress with changes in an en bloc amendment) — mover: Ranking Member Angie Craig; second: not specified; outcome: adopted (voice vote; no roll-call tally specified). • Adoption of the committee authorization and oversight plan (pursuant to House rule 10 clause 2(d)(1)) — adopted without objection; outcome: adopted.

The committee also recognized Jackson Hales as its new chief clerk; Hales was introduced as joining from the Senate Agriculture Committee clerk’s office. The chairman instructed staff that the usual technical, clarifying, or conforming changes (formatting, punctuation, capitalization) may be made to adopted texts without changing substantive content.

The meeting concluded with the chairman adjourning the committee “subject to the call of the chair.” The oversight plan will be transmitted to the listed committees as required and the committee indicated it will proceed to work on the farm bill and related priorities in subsequent hearings and markups.