Senate Agriculture Committee announces farm bill hearing schedule

This past week, the Senate Agriculture Committee released its hearing schedule to solicit input from the Department of Agriculture as it prepares for the upcoming farm bill. Programs in the current farm bill begin expiring on Sept. 30. See below for the Committee’s intended schedule.

• Feb. 1: Trade and horticulture programs
• Feb. 9: Commodity programs, crop insurance and farm credit programs
• Feb. 16: Nutrition programs
• March 1: Conservation and forestry programs
• March 16: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack testifies

Sens. Fetterman and Welch join Senate Agriculture Committee

On Thursday, Jan. 26, the Senate Democratic Steering Committee announced Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Peter Welch (D-VT) will be added to the Senate Agriculture Committee. The ratio of senators on the committee is expected to change from 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans to 12 Democrats and 11 Republicans for the 118^th congressional session. Republicans are not expected to change their roster for this session. The additional open Democratic seat resulted from Sen. Pat Leahy’s (D-NY) retirement at the end of last session.

House Democrats announced new member committee appointments for the 118^th Congress. On Jan. 26, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced that the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee had made the following committee recommendations for new members of the House Democratic Caucus. New Democratic members joining the House Ag Committee for the 118^th Congress include:

• Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-CO)
• Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-OR)
• Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA)
• Rep. Don Davis (D-NC)
• Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI)
• Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL)
• Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-IL)
• Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM)
• Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX)
• Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL)
• Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX)