Standing committee | |
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Active![]() United States Senate 116th Congress | |
History | |
Formed | December 9, 1825 |
Leadership | |
Chair | Pat Roberts (R) Since January 8, 2015[1] |
Ranking member | Debbie Stabenow (D) Since January 8, 2015 |
Structure | |
Political parties | Majority (11)
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Jurisdiction | |
Policy areas | Agriculture, Crop insurance, Farm bill, Farm credit, Food stamps, Food inspection, Forestry, Home economics, Nutrition, Rural development, Rural electrification, Watersheds |
Oversight authority | Department of Agriculture, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Farm Credit Administration, Commodity Credit Corporation, Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation, United States Forest Service |
House counterpart | Committee on Agriculture |
Subcommittees | |
Meeting place | |
328A Russell Senate Office Building | |
Website | |
https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/ | |
Rules | |
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, home economics, and rural development.[2]
Founded in 1825 the Committee was formed at the request of Senator William Findlay 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.[3]
During the first four decades of the existence of this committee, the need for it was repeatedly called into question. At that time in America, nearly 2/3 of the population was directly engaged in agriculture.[3] As such, issues related to agriculture overlapped with areas covered by other committees and were often referred to those committees instead of the Agriculture Committee.[4]
Following a debate over the necessity of various committees to have need of the services of a dedicated clerk, a Special Committee was formed to investigate ways to "reduce the number and increase the efficiency of the committees."[5] On February 17, 1857, the Special Committee submitted a plan of reorganization for the committees that did not include the Agriculture Committee. During a special session of the Senate, on March 5, 1857, the Senate approved the Special Committees recommendations and the Committee on Agriculture was dissolved.[6]
In 1862, the country was embroiled in the Civil War, a large influx of immigrants was occurring and the nation was moving towards industrialization. That year, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Organic Act recreating the Department of Agriculture.[7]
It became the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry in 1884, a reflection of the growing importance of forests to the country's needs.[8] It was renamed again to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry in 1977. Nutrition was added to the name after the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 directed the Department of Agriculture to "conduct more human nutrition research, establish a national nutrition education program and develop a system to monitor America's nutritional status".[9]
In accordance of Rule XXV of the United States Senate, all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the following subjects are referred to the Agriculture Committee:
The Agriculture Committee is also charged "to study and review, on a comprehensive basis, matters relating to food, nutrition, and hunger, both in the United States and in foreign countries, and rural affairs, and report thereon from time to time."[10]
Majority | Minority |
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Majority | Minority |
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Source [11]
Subcommittees[12] | Chair | Ranking members |
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Commodities, Markets and Trade | John Boozman (R-AR) | Sherrod Brown (D-OH) |
Rural Development and Energy | Joni Ernst (R-IA) | Tina Smith (D-MN) |
Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources | Steve Daines (R-MT) | Michael Bennet (D-CO) |
Nutrition, Agricultural Research and Specialty Crops | Deb Fischer (R-NE) | Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA) |
Livestock, Marketing and Agriculture Security | Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) | Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) |
The committee, under its various names, has been chaired by the following senators:[13]
Name | Party | State | Years | |
---|---|---|---|---|
William Marks | National Republican | Pennsylvania | 1829-1831 | |
Horatio Seymour | National Republican | Vermont | 1831-1833 | |
Bedford Brown | Democratic | North Carolina | 1833-1836 | |
John Page | Democratic | New Hampshire | 1836-1837 | |
Perry Smith | Democratic | Connecticut | 1837-1839 | |
Alexander Mouton | Democratic | Louisiana | 1839-1841 | |
Lewis F. Linn | Democratic | Missouri | 1841-1843 | |
William Upham | Whig | Vermont | 1843-1845 | |
Daniel Sturgeon | Democratic | Pennsylvania | 1845-1851 | |
Pierre Soulé | Democratic | Louisiana | 1851-1853 | |
Philip Allen | Democratic | Rhode Island | 1853-1857 |
Name | Party | State | Years | |
---|---|---|---|---|
John Sherman | Republican | Ohio | 1863-1867 | |
Simon Cameron | Republican | Pennsylvania | 1867-1871 | |
Oliver P. Morton | Republican | Indiana | 1871-1872 | |
Frederick T. Frelinghuysen | Republican | New Jersey | 1872-1877 | |
Algernon S. Paddock | Republican | Nebraska | 1877-1879 | |
John Johnston | Democratic | Virginia | 1879-1881 |
Name | Party | State | Years | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Herman E. Talmadge | Democratic | Georgia | 1977-1981 | |
Jesse Helms | Republican | North Carolina | 1981-1987 | |
Patrick Leahy | Democratic | Vermont | 1987-1995 | |
Richard Lugar | Republican | Indiana | 1995-2001 | |
Tom Harkin | Democratic | Iowa | 2001 | |
Richard Lugar | Republican | Indiana | 2001 | |
Tom Harkin | Democratic | Iowa | 2001-2003 | |
Thad Cochran | Republican | Mississippi | 2003-2005 | |
Saxby Chambliss | Republican | Georgia | 2005-2007 | |
Tom Harkin | Democratic | Iowa | 2007-2009 | |
Blanche Lincoln | Democratic | Arkansas | 2009-2011 | |
Debbie Stabenow | Democratic | Michigan | 2011-2015 | |
Pat Roberts | Republican | Kansas | 2015-present |