NCGA Congratulates Harkin, Looks Forward to Working with Senate Ag Committee (11-15-06)

This week Senate Democrats realigned the 110th Congress’s U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), currently the committee’s ranking member, will become chairman. National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is looking forward to continuing a good working relationship with members of a key committee for corn growers.

“NCGA congratulates Sen. Harkin on his chairmanship and looks forward to working him and committee staff next year as key agriculture policy is developed for the new farm bill,” said Ken McCauley, NCGA president. “Sen. Harkin has been a champion for agriculture for many years.  He has given us many opportunities to offer our positions on agriculture policy.  We are sure that will continue.”

The committee is under new leadership and will have 11 Democrats seated at the table. In addition to Harkin, the committee includes Sens. Pat Leahy (Vt.), Kent Conrad (N.D.), Max Baucus (Mont.), Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Ben Nelson (Neb.), Ken Salazar (Colo.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Bob Casey (Pa.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.). Brown, Casey and Klobuchar are new to the committee and to the Senate.

The current committee chairman, Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) is expected to move into the role of ranking member in January. Other Republican appointments to the committee are still pending. Committee memberships will be finalized in January.