United States House Committee on Agriculture
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, or Agriculture Committee (often referred to as simply "Agriculture", as in "He's on Agriculture") is a Congressional committee of the United States House of Representatives. The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over bills and resolutions relating to issues within the scope of the Subcommittee's jurisdiction, and has oversight responsibilities over agencies, programs and activities that fall within it's jurisdiction which is defined by the House Rules, and can recommend funding appropriations for governmental agencies, programs, and activities that fall within it's jurisdiction.
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[edit] History of the Agriculture Committee
The Agriculture Committee was created on 3 May 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 7 members, from the states of Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia. Thomas Forrest was the first chairman. The United States Senate counterpart to the House Agriculture Committee, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, was created on 9 December 1825. The Agriculture Committee remained a 7 member body until 1835, when 2 more members were added. It was not until 1871 that the next 2 members were added. Since then it has gradually grown to its current size of 46 members.
[edit] 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.
The committee also has a great deal of influence over immigration as many nonresident aliens are employed in agricultural fields.
[edit] Jurisdiction
As prescribed by House Rules, the Committee on Agriculture's jurisdiction includes the following:
- 1) Adulteration of seeds, insect pests, and protection of birds and animals in forest reserves.
- 2) Agriculture generally.
- 3) Agricultural and industrial chemistry.
- 4) Agricultural colleges and experiment stations.
- 5) Agricultural economics and research.
- 6) Agricultural education extension services
- 7) Agricultural production, marketing and stabilization of prices of agricultural products, and commodities (excluding foreign distribution).
- 8) Animal industry and diseases of animals.
- 9) Commodity exchanges.
- 10) Crop insurance and soil conservation.
- 11) Dairy industry.
- 12) Entomology and plant quarantine.
- 13) Extension of farm credit and farm security.
- 14) Inspection of livestock, poultry, meat products, and seafood and seafood products.
- 15) Forestry in general and forest reserves other than those created from the public domain.
- 16) Human nutrition and home economics.
- 17) Plant industry, soils, and agricultural engineering.
- 18) Rural electrification.
- 19) Rural development
- 20) Water conservation related to activities of the Department of Agriculture.
[edit] Current members, 109th Congress
[edit] Subcommittees
- U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development and Research
- U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry
- U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
- U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock and Horticulture
- U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Foreign Agriculture Programs
