United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

Senate Agriculture Committee
Standing committee
Active

United States Senate
115th 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)
Minority (10)
Jurisdiction
Policy areas Farm Bill, Agriculture, Nutrition, Farm Credit, Food Stamps, Crop insurance, Forestry, Food Inspection, Home economics, Rural electrification
Oversight authority Department of Agriculture, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Farm Credit Administration, Commodity Credit Corporation, Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation
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 and health.[2]

    History

    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 ⅔ 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]

    Members, 115th Congress

    Majority Minority

    Source [10]

    Subcommittees

    Subcommittees[11] Chair Ranking members
    Commodities, Markets and Trade John Boozman (R-AR) Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)
    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 David Perdue (R-GA) Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA)
    Livestock, Marketing and Agriculture Security Deb Fischer (R-NE) Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

    Chairmen

    The committee, under its various names, has been chaired by the following senators:[12]

    Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, 1829–1857

    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

    Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, 1863–1884

    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

    Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, 1884–1977

    Name Party State Years
    Warner Miller Republican New York 1884–1887
    Thomas W. Palmer Republican Michigan 1887–1889
    Algernon S. Paddock Republican Nebraska 1889–1893
    James Z. George Democratic Mississippi 1893–1895
    Redfield Proctor Republican Vermont 1895–1908
    Henry C. Hansbrough Republican North Dakota 1908–1909
    Jonathan P. Dolliver Republican Iowa 1909–1910
    Francis E. Warren Republican Wyoming 1910–1911
    Henry E. Burnham Republican New Hampshire 1911–1913
    Thomas P. Gore Democratic Oklahoma 1913–1919
    Asle J. Gronna Republican North Dakota 1919–1921
    George W. Norris Republican Nebraska 1921–1926
    Charles McNary Republican Oregon 1926–1933
    Ellison D. Smith Democratic South Carolina 1933–1944
    Elmer Thomas Democratic Oklahoma 1944–1947
    Arthur Capper Republican Kansas 1947–1949
    Elmer Thomas Democratic Oklahoma 1949–1951
    Allen J. Ellender Democratic Louisiana 1951–1953
    George D. Aiken Republican Vermont 1953–1955
    Allen J. Ellender Democratic Louisiana 1955–1971
    Herman E. Talmadge Democratic Georgia 1971–1977

    Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, 1977–present

    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

    See also

    References

    1. ↑ "Senator Roberts Makes History" (Press release). January 8, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
    2. ↑ "Jurisdiction". Retrieved September 27, 2018.
    3. 1 2 Register of Debates in Congress. December 9, 1825. p. 5-6.
    4. ↑ "Chapter 1: The Committee is Created: 1825–1857". The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 1825–1998. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
    5. ↑ Congressional Globe, December 23, 1856, pp. 182–184.
    6. ↑ Journal of the Senate, March 5, 1857, p. 386.
    7. ↑ Daniel J. Boorstin (1973), The Americans: The Democratic Experience p. 119, New York: Vintage Press.
    8. ↑ U.S. Senate (1976). Temporary Select Committee to Study the Senate Committee System, p. 15. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.
    9. ↑ "Chapter 7: Borrowing and Credit: 1970–1979". The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 1825–1998. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
    10. ↑ "U.S. Senate: Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
    11. ↑ "Subcommittees". Retrieved September 27, 2018.
    12. ↑ "Appendix I: Chairmen of the Committee On Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, 1825 – 1997". The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 1825–1998. Retrieved September 27, 2018.


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