Alford Gains Assignment To Ag Committee

The United States Capitol Building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

West Central Missouri Congressman Mark Alford will follow in the steps of his predecessor into the House Committee on Agriculture. The Kansas City-area Republican was named Monday night by chairman GT Thompson as one of 12 new Republicans on the committee, joining 15 returning members. Alford will be Missouri’s lone presence on a congressional ag committee.

Among the Republicans also arriving on the committee are fellow freshmen Zach Nunn of Iowa and Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin. Returning members include Don Bacon of Nebraska, Rick Crawford of Arkansas, Tracey Mann of Kansas, and Mary Miller of Illinois. Former chairman Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, who navigated passage of the 2013 Farm Bill, is returning to the committee ahead of this year’s deliberations. In a statement Chairman Thompson said that it was, “imperative we hit the ground running through a rigorous hearing schedule, listening sessions, and aggressive oversight. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues as we put forward commonsense [sic] solutions that provide certainty for rural America.”

Democrats will have 23 members on the committee, led by ranking member David Scott of Georgia. Their lineup had not been released as of Tuesday morning.