U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
|
|
The Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of all matters relating to the nation's agriculture industry, farming programs, forestry and logging, and legislation relating to nutrition and health. Founded in 1825, the Committee was formed at the request of Senator William Findlay, a Republican from Pennsylvania. Arguing that agriculture was as important to national progress as commerce and manufacturing, Findlay succeeded in persuading the full Senate to divide the Committee on Commerce and Manufactures into two separate committees. The Committee on Agriculture was formed by resolution on December 9, 1825 (although it briefly ceased to exist between 1857 and 1863). It became the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry in 1884, and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry in 1977.
Members
The Committee is chaired by Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia. The ranking Democrat is Tom Harkin of Iowa. The members of the Committee are:
- C. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), chairman
- Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.)
- W. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)
- A. Mitchell McConnell Jr. (R-Ky.)
- C. Patrick Roberts (R-Kan.)
- James A. Talent (R-Mo.)
- Craig L. Thomas (R-Wy.)
- Rick Santorum (R-Pa.)
- Norman Coleman (R-Minn.)
- Michael D. Crapo (R-Idaho)
- Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa)
- Thomas R. Harkin (D-Iowa), ranking minority member
- Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.)
- Kent Conrad (D-N.D.)
- Max S. Baucus (D-Mont.)
- Blanche L. Lincoln (D-Ark.)
- Debbie A. Stabenow (D-Mich.)
- E. Benjamin Nelson (D-Neb.)
- Mark Dayton (D-Minn.)
- Ken L. Salazar (D-Colo.)
Subcommittees
The Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry is divided into four subcommittees. Each subcommittee is chaired by a Republican who is not permitted to also chair the full committee. Each subcommittee also has a ranking Democrat opposition leader.
Subcommittee on Production and Price Competitiveness
This subcommittee has jurisdiction over legislation on agricultural commodities, including cotton, dairy products, feed grains, wheat, tobacco, peanuts, sugar, wool, rice, oilseeds and soybeans and price and income support programs. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is the chairman of this committee, and Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) is the Ranking Member.
Subcommittee on Marketing, Inspection, and Product Promotion
This subcommittee has jurisdiction over legislation on foreign agricultural trade, foreign market development, and agriculture product promotion and domestic marketing programs. It oversees international commodity agreements and export controls on agricultural commodities, foreign assistance programs and Food for Peace, marketing orders, inspection and certification of meat, flowers, fruit, vegetables and livestock. It is currently chaired by James M. Talent (R-MO) and its ranking Democrat is Max Baucus (D-MT).
Subcommittee on Forestry, Conservation, and Rural Revitalization
This subcommittee has jurisdiction over rural development legislation and rural electrification legislation, oversight of rural electrification, agricultural credit, the Farm Credit System, the Farm Credit Administration, and the Farmers Home Administration and its successor agencies. It also has jurisdiction over crop insurance, forestry in general and forest reserves that were acquired from state, local, or private sources, soil conservation, stream channelization, and watershed and flood control programs involving structures of less than 4,000 acre-feet (4,934,000 m³) storage capacity. It is currently chaired by Mike Crapo (R-ID) and its ranking Democrat is Blanche Lincoln (D-AR).
Subcommittee on Research, Nutrition, and General Legislation
This subcommittee has jurisdiction over legislation on agricultural education and research, animal welfare, legislation on or relating to food, nutrition and hunger, commodity donations, food stamps, the national school lunch program, school breakfast program, summer food program for children, special milk program for children, special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children, nutritional programs for the elderly, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, and general legislation. It is currently chaired by Rick Santorum (R-PA) and its ranking Democrat is Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT).
Chairmen
Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, 1829-1857
- William Marks (NR-PA) 1829-1831
- Horatio Seymour (NR-VT) 1831-1833
- Bedford Brown (D-NC) 1833-1836
- John Page (D-NH) 1836-1837
- Perry Smith (D-CT) 1837-1839
- Alexander Mouton (D-LA) 1839-1841
- Lewis F. Linn (D-MO) 1841-1843
- William Upham (W-VT) 1843-1845
- Daniel Sturgeon (D-PA) 1845-1851
- Pierre Soulé (D-LA) 1851-1853
- Philip Allen (D-RI) 1853-1857
Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, 1863-1884
- John Sherman (R-OH) 1863-1867
- Simon Cameron (R-PA) 1867-1871
- Oliver P. Morton (R-IN) 1871-1872
- Frederick T. Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) 1872-1877
- Algernon S. Paddock (R-NE) 1877-1879
- John Johnston (D-VA) 1879-1881
- William Mahone (R-VA) 1881-1883
- Warner Miller (R-NY) 1883-1884
Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, 1884-1977
- Warner Miller (R-NY) 1884-1887
- Thomas W. Palmer (R-MI) 1887-1889
- Algernon S. Paddock (R-NE) 1889-1893
- James Z. George (D-MS) 1893-1895
- Redfield Proctor (R-VT) 1895-1908
- Henry C. Hansbrough (R-ND) 1908-1909
- Jonathan P. Dolliver (R-IA) 1909-1910
- Henry E. Burnham (R-NH) 1911-1913
- Thomas P. Gore (D-OK) 1913-1919
- Asle J. Gronna (R-ND) 1919-1921
- George W. Norris (R-NE) 1921-1926
- Charles McNary (R-OR) 1926-1933
- Ellison D. Smith (D-SC) 1933-1944
- Elmer Thomas (D-OK) 1944-1947
- Arthur Capper (R-KS) 1947-1949
- Elmer Thomas (D-OK) 1949-1951
- Allen J. Ellender (D-LA) 1951-1953
- George D. Aiken (R-VT) 1953-1955
- Allen J. Ellender (D-LA) 1955-1971
- Herman E. Talmadge (D-GA) 1971-1977
Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, 1977-present
- Herman E. Talmadge (D-GA) 1977-1981
- Jesse Helms (R-NC) 1981-1987
- Patrick Leahy (D-VT) 1987-1995
- Richard G. Lugar (R-IN) 1995-2001
- Thomas R. Harkin (D-IA) 2001
- Richard G. Lugar (R-IN) 2001
- Thomas R. Harkin (D-IA) 2001-2003
- Thad Cochran (R-MS) 2003-2005
- Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) 2005-present
External links
- Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee (http://agriculture.senate.gov/)
- Commodity Futures Trading Commission (http://www.cftc.gov/cftc/cftchome.htm)
- Farm Credit Administration (http://www.fca.gov/)