Former Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran, who chaired the Senate Agriculture and Senate Appropriations Committees during his 45 years in Congress, passed away Thursday. He was 81 years old.
Cochran was an outspoken advocate for Mississippi’s farmers, using his leadership roles to guide disaster assistance and economic development funds to the state.
Cochran was first elected to Mississippi’s Fourth Congressional District in 1972. He was elected to the Senate in 1978 before retiring during his seventh term in 2018. Cochran chaired the Senate Agriculture Committee from 2003-2004 and was Ranking Member from 2013-2014, serving as a key player in the writing of the 2014 Farm Bill. He was Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee from 2005-2006 and, again, from 2015-2016.
NCGA CEO Jon Doggett expressed the organization’s appreciation for Cochran’s contributions to agriculture and condolences to his loved ones.
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