Race to the handshake: New agriculture leaders in Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The first day of Congress is often considered the “first day of school” for those who work to advocate and lobby on Capitol Hill.

The vice president swears in new senators, while the Speaker of the House welcomes both new and returning members of Congress. Once sworn in, newly minted offices welcome members’ families, local leaders, and a long line of interest groups eager to greet the new faces of Congress.

The hallways bustle with activity, doors open and lines stretch down corridors for brief, 30-second introductions to new members of Congress. Among these, a handshake with a chief of staff often proves to be the most powerful connection of all.

It’s a race to secure the handshake, followed by scheduled meetings the next week, as farm groups and other advocates work to establish relationships with a Republican-controlled House, Senate and White House.

However, new agriculture committee leadership, including minority members, will influence which sectors receive attention over the next two years.

“We have a lot of members who are from Minnesota; they have already been meeting with Senator Klobuchar and Representative Craig last week,” said Mike Mika, vice president of advocacy and government affairs for advocacy association AmericanHort. For lobbyists like Mika, the open-house atmosphere means making over 100 stops on the Hill during the first week.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) takes over as the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee following the retirement of Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). In the House, Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) beat out Georgia Democratic Rep. David Scott for the position of ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee.

Observers on Capitol Hill highlight a significant shift in the states and commodities represented on these committees. Both previous democratic leaders represented states with strong ties to horticulture, including fruits, vegetables and specialty crops.

In an interview with Agri-Pulse TV, Anne MacMillan, a political strategist with Invariant, said, “I think there will be a renewed focus on some of the Minnesota commodities — corn and soybeans — as opposed to the fruits and vegetables that Georgia and Michigan perspectives would have brought.”

She noted that the new minority leadership presents opportunities for advocacy among farm groups and associations. Those “who don’t have as many firm connections, it presents the opportunity to be able to retell your story, potentially pick up a new advocate for issues and positions all across the farm bill.”

The shuffling of committee memberships also began during Congress’s first days. Republicans announced new members of the House Agriculture Committee, including Rep. Newhouse of Washington, Rep. Tony Wied of Wisconsin, Rep. Bresnahan from Illinois, Rep. Mark Harris of North Carolina, Rep. Messmer of Indiana and Rep. Fave Taylor of Texas. Pennsylvania’s Glenn “GT” Thompson continues as the chairman of the committee.

A week later, Democrats unveiled their committee roster, which now includes 25 seats on the House Agriculture Committee. New Democratic members are Reps. Adam Gray of California, April McClain-Delaney of Maryland, Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan, Shomari Figures of Alabama, Josh Riley of New York — who defeated former agriculture member Mark Molinaro — John Mannion of New York, Shri Thanedar of Michigan, and Eugene Vindman of Virginia. Two positions remain unfilled, likely to be allocated to Reps. David Scott and Chellie Pingree — who are seeking waivers to serve on both the appropriations and agriculture standing committees.

Horticulture groups such as AmericanHort, which worked closely with Stabenow and other horticulture-focused leaders, have greatly benefited from having committee members who understand their industry — a sector that just recently received federal crop insurance protection for nursey operations.

Mika said, “What GT put together with David Scott and others was probably one of the best farm bills we’ve seen, specifically for specialty crops.”

Preparing for a new Congress requires a reset, Mika explained. Key priorities this year include the farm bill, tax issues, and H-2A and H-2B visa reform, along with sending policy recommendations to Trump’s transition teams that have threatened immigration reform impacting agriculture workers.

Educating row crop-focused representatives about horticulture’s importance is another priority.

“You think about row crops and everything in agriculture — it all starts in a greenhouse. Explaining that to staff and representatives is a chance to educate. All parts of agriculture rely on greenhouses to some extent,” Mika added.

Advocacy groups are watching Cabinet nominations closely. U.S. Department of Agriculture nominee Brooke Rollins’ hearing is set for Jan. 23, while Labor Secretary nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer awaits scheduling. This nomination holds special interest for the horticulture industry.

“Her [Chavez-DeRemer] being a former member of Congress, she knows our industry very close with the Oregon Nursery Association, which we work with,” Mika said.

Staff transitions are also critical as Craig is expected to retain staff from former ranking member Scott and former Rep. Collin Peterson, while Klobuchar will likely retain staff from Stabenow — relationships that associations will need to maintain. Stabenow, now a senior policy advisor for a healthcare lobbyist, Liberty Partners Group, will continue to shape policy discussions.

In the end, Mika noted, “We won’t know what those talking points are until, you know, 60 to 30 days out,” as the administration finalizes its policy priorities. Ultimately, the transitional period offers an opportunity for advocacy groups to build relationships, educate new leaders and shape the future of agricultural policy in the United States.

Jake Zajkowski is a freelance agriculture journalist covering farm policy, global food systems and the rural Midwest. Raised on vegetable farms in northern Ohio, he now studies at Cornell University.