United States House Committee on Agriculture


The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, or Agriculture Committee is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of some federal agencies, and it can recommend funding appropriations for various governmental agencies, programs, and activities, as defined by House rules.

History of the Agriculture Committee

The Agriculture Committee was created on May 3, 1820, after Lewis Williams of North Carolina sponsored a resolution to create the committee and give agricultural issues equal weight with commercial and manufacturing interests. The committee originally consisted of seven members, from the states of Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia. Thomas Forrest of Pennsylvania was the first chairman. The Agriculture Committee remained a seven-member body until 1835, when two more members were added. It was not until 1871 that the next two members were added. Since then it has gradually grown to its current size of 46 members.
The U.S. Senate counterpart to the House Agriculture Committee, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, was created on December 9, 1825.

Role of the Agriculture Committee

The Agriculture Committee is not generally considered to be a particularly powerful one. However, it is an important committee to be on for Representatives from many rural areas where agriculture is the main industry. The committee has jurisdiction over agriculture, forestry, nutrition, water conservation, and other agriculture-related fields.

Jurisdiction

As prescribed by House Rules, the Committee on Agriculture's jurisdiction includes the following:
MajorityMinority

  • Mike Conaway, Texas, Ranking Member
  • Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania
  • Austin Scott, Georgia
  • Rick Crawford, Arkansas
  • Scott DesJarlais, Tennessee
  • Vicky Hartzler, Missouri
  • Doug LaMalfa, California
  • Rodney Davis, Illinois
  • Ted Yoho, Florida
  • Rick Allen, Georgia
  • Mike Bost, Illinois
  • David Rouzer, North Carolina
  • Ralph Abraham, Louisiana
  • Trent Kelly, Mississippi
  • James Comer, Kentucky
  • Roger Marshall, Kansas
  • Don Bacon, Nebraska
  • Neal Dunn, Florida
  • Dusty Johnson, South Dakota
  • Jim Baird, Indiana
  • Jim Hagedorn, Minnesota
    • Resolutions electing members: , , ,

    Historical membership rosters

    115th Congress

    Subcommittees

    Chairmen since 1820

    ChairmanPartyStateYears
    Thomas ForrestFederalistPennsylvania1820–1821
    Josiah ButlerDemocratic-RepublicanNew Hampshire1821–1823
    Stephen Van RensselaerNational RepublicanNew York1823–1829
    Ambrose SpencerNational RepublicanNew York1829–1831
    Erastus RootDemocraticNew York1831–1833
    Abraham BockeeDemocraticNew York1833–1837
    Edmund DeberryWhigNorth Carolina1837–1845
    Joseph H. AndersonDemocraticNew York1845–1847
    Hugh WhiteWhigNew York1847–1849
    Nathaniel S. LittlefieldDemocraticMaine1849–1851
    John G. FloydDemocraticNew York1851–1853
    John L. DawsonDemocraticPennsylvania1853–1855
    David P. HollowayOppositionIndiana1855–1857
    William G. WhiteleyDemocraticDelaware1857–1859
    Martin ButterfieldRepublicanNew York1859–1861
    Owen LovejoyRepublicanIllinois1861–1863
    Brutus J. ClayUnionKentucky1863–1865
    John BidwellRepublicanCalifornia1865–1867
    Rowland E. TrowbridgeRepublicanMichigan1867–1869
    John Thomas WilsonRepublicanOhio1869–1873
    Charles HaysRepublicanAlabama1873–1875
    John Henry CaldwellDemocraticAlabama1875–1877
    Augustus W. CutlerDemocraticNew Jersey1877–1879
    James W. CovertDemocraticNew York1879–1881
    Edward K. ValentineRepublicanNebraska1881–1883
    William H. HatchDemocraticMissouri1883–1889
    Edward H. FunstonRepublicanKansas1889–1891
    William H. HatchDemocraticMissouri1891–1895
    James W. WadsworthRepublicanNew York1895–1907
    Charles F. ScottRepublicanKansas1907–1911
    John LambDemocraticVirginia1911–1913
    Asbury F. LeverDemocraticSouth Carolina1913–1919
    Gilbert N. HaugenRepublicanIowa1919–1931
    Marvin JonesDemocraticTexas1931–1941
    Hampton P. FulmerDemocraticSouth Carolina1941–1945
    John W. Flannagan, Jr.DemocraticVirginia1945–1947
    Clifford R. HopeRepublicanKansas1947–1949
    Harold D. CooleyDemocraticNorth Carolina1949–1953
    Clifford R. HopeRepublicanKansas1953–1955
    Harold D. CooleyDemocraticNorth Carolina1955–1967
    William R. PoageDemocraticTexas1967–1975
    Thomas S. FoleyDemocraticWashington1975–1981
    Kika de la GarzaDemocraticTexas1981–1995
    Pat RobertsRepublicanKansas1995–1997
    Robert F. SmithRepublicanOregon1997–1999
    Larry CombestRepublicanTexas1999–2003
    Bob GoodlatteRepublicanVirginia2003–2007
    Collin PetersonDemocraticMinnesota2007–2011
    Frank LucasRepublicanOklahoma2011–2015
    Mike ConawayRepublicanTexas2015–2019
    Collin PetersonDemocraticMinnesota2019-present