Georgia’s Rep. David Scott: Chairman of the House Ag Committee 

Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., has been approved by the Democratic Caucus to serve as the first African American chairman of the House Agriculture Committee in the 117th Congress that will convene in January.

“I am honored to have been chosen by my colleagues in the Democratic Caucus to serve as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee,” Scott said in a news release. “I was born on my grandparents’ farm in rural Aynor, South Carolina, during the days of segregation, and the hardships, of those, on whose shoulders I now stand. And I will use this critical opportunity to represent the values of our entire caucus and advance our priorities for trade, disaster aid, climate change, sustainable agriculture, SNAP, crop insurance, small family farms, specialty crops, and rural broadband.”

Scott has served on the House Agriculture Committee since 2003.

According to the release, Scott’s past leadership roles on the committee include chairman roles on the Subcommittees on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit as well as Livestock and Foreign Agriculture.

Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., had been seeking the position and was backed by Western Growers and other industry groups. Costa issued a statement congratulating Scott.

“I’d like to congratulate Chairman Scott on this historic achievement as the first African American to chair the House Agriculture Committee,” Costa said in the statement. “In order to address the issues facing American agriculture, I’m committed to working with him. His 18 years of experience on the committee undoubtedly will benefit our efforts to provide solutions to the challenges ahead during this pandemic. I look forward to what we can accomplish together in the 117th Congress.” 

Meanwhile, the House Republican Steering Committee also approved a new ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa.

“As a lifelong resident of a small town in rural Central Pennsylvania and the descendant of a long line of dairy farmers, I am incredibly humbled to have been elected by my Republican colleagues to be their leader on the House Agriculture Committee in the 117th Congress,” Thompson said in a news release. “The challenges ahead of us are considerable, but we will continue to put farm families first and ensure our country has the most safe and affordable food supply chain on the planet.”

Reaction

The National Potato Council welcomed the selections of both Scott and Thompson.

“Throughout his tenure on the Agriculture Committee, chairman-elect Scott has been a tireless advocate for our food-insecure citizens,” Kam Quarles, CEO of the NPC, said in a statement. “Potato growers look forward to working with him on policies that will allow them to continue to deliver nutrient-rich, high-quality vegetables to American families.”

Thompson understands the challenges faced by the U.S. agriculture industry, NPC president Britt Raybould said in the statement. “As growers of nutritious and cost-effective vegetables, U.S. potato growers look forward to working with Congressman Thompson to enhance potatoes’ contributions to the Committee’s mission of securing the livelihoods of America’s farming families and the consumers they serve.”