Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman, Kansas Senator Pat Roberts, today announced his decision not to seek reelection in 2020. Roberts was first elected to Kansas’s First Congressional District in 1980 before his election to the U.S. Senate in 1996.
Roberts has been an outspoken advocate for farmers and agriculture. He is the first member of Congress in history to have chaired both the House Agriculture Committee and the Senate Agriculture Committee. He has also served as the ranking member of each committee.
“Senator Roberts’ influence on agriculture, from his leadership roles on both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, is unmatched,” said NCGA CEO Jon Doggett. “He has been a steadfast advocate for farmers on a host of issues important to American agriculture. While we will miss his leadership in the Senate, we look forward to working with him during the 116th Congress and wish him and his family the best.”
"I can't think of a lawmaker who is more in touch with U.S. and Kansas agriculture, and it's hard for us to consider a future without Pat Roberts as a Kansas senator," KCGA CEO Greg Krissek said. "Farmers in Kansas and across the nation have benefited from Senator Roberts' insightful and dedicated leadership in the Senate--especially his work on the Senate Ag Committee."
