Agriculture Industry Reacts to Angie Craig’s Nomination as House Ag Ranking Member

A new ranking member for Democrats in the House of Representatives Ag Committee was announced Tuesday morning. Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) won her push to replace Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) as ranking member by defeating Jim Costa (D-Ca.) with a 121-91 vote behind closed doors. Craig is in her third term as a congresswoman, while Costa has been in the House for over two decades. Scott dropped out of the race for ranking member as his health caused concerns for Democrats in Congress, The Hill reported.

Reactions from across the ag landscape have been coming in throughout the day.

Rep. Jim Costa

“I’d like to thank Congressman David Scott for his service and leadership to American agriculture in the last four years and congratulate Rep. Angie Craig on her election as ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass a farm bill in the 119th Congress. By working together, we can achieve stronger results for our communities, rural and urban alike,” Costa said.

American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF)

AFBF President Zippy Duvall released a statement Tuesday congratulating Craig on her victory.

“Farm Bureau congratulates Rep. Angie Craig on her nomination to serve as the next ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. Rep. Craig has a long history of working in a bipartisan manner to advance the needs of America’s farmers and ranchers.

“Her leadership is needed now more than ever, as farmers face economic headwinds including inflation, high supply costs, and decreasing commodity prices. Those challenges can quickly become a crisis if they’re not addressed with a new, modernized farm bill. Congress has kicked the can down the road too many times. Now is the time to act. We stand ready to work with Rep. Craig to ensure passage of a new 5-year farm bill and to address other matters important to agriculture and rural America.

“I’d also like to thank Rep. David Scott for his dedication to America’s farmers and ranchers as chairman and then ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. His more than 20 years of experience on the committee will continue to be invaluable to the success of the hardworking families who ensure America’s pantries remain stocked.”

National Corn Growers Association 

Kenneth Hartman Jr., president of the National Corn Growers Association:

“We want to congratulate Rep. Craig for securing the role as ranking member on the House Committee on Agriculture for the 119th Congress. 

“Rep. Craig has been a close ally of farmers in general and fierce advocate of corn growers in particular. We are thrilled by this development and look forward to working with her in the year ahead as we advance legislation important to our growers. We also want to thank Ranking Member David Scott (D-Ga.) for his tireless work on behalf of our issues. He has been a true leader, and we look forward to working with him in the next Congress.”

Growth Energy

“Congresswoman Craig is a champion for rural America and will make an outstanding leader on the House Agriculture Committee. She truly understands the value of biofuels and how critical they are to the continued success of American agriculture,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor.

“We congratulate her on this new role and look forward to continuing our work with her to lower emissions, reduce consumer costs, and support our farmers by expanding the use of American biofuels.”

Minnesota Farmers Union

“It’s welcome news that Rep. Craig will be representing her caucus in negotiations as Congress works to pass disaster relief and a farm bill,” said Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish. “Rep. Craig has a proven track record of bringing people together around bipartisan solutions. We’re glad that she will be joining Sen. Klobuchar as a leading voice in farm bill discussions.

“Sen. Klobuchar has long been a champion of rural Minnesota, visiting every county in the state each year,” Wertish said. “She is a tireless advocate for antitrust enforcement and a friend of family farmers.”

AGree Coalition

Kristin Weeks Duncanson, owner and partner at Highland Family Farms and a member of the AGree Initiative said:

“As a major advocate for farmers and producers, Rep. Craig has gained a real understanding of agriculture across the country. She has advanced food and agriculture policy that considers conservation by being a true bipartisan champion. This is exemplified by the sheer number of bills she has co-sponsored or authored with colleagues across the aisle. We look forward to working with her and the 119th Congress to pass legislation ensuring economic and environmental resilience for producers.”