Republicans named four new members to the Senate Agriculture Committee, effective with the new legislative session beginning in January – David Perdue of Georgia, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Ben Sasse of Nebraska – when the GOP becomes the majority party. They would join seven returning members.
Overall, Republicans would hold 11 seats on the committee, two more than this session. Democrats would get nine, a loss of two seats, says Politico. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, now the chairwoman, will become the No 1 Democrat. Control of the Senate will shift from a 55-45 Democratic majority to a 54-46 Republican majority.
Returning to the Agriculture Committee would be Republican Sens Pat Roberts of Kansas, Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, John Boozman of Arkansas, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Chuck Grassley of Iowa and John Thune of South Dakota.
Roberts is expected to be the chairman, with Cochran taking chairmanship of Appropriatons and McConnell becoming majority leader. “New committee chairs will be selected by a vote of the members of each respective panel and then ratified by the Republican Conference,” said an announcement that accompanied the committee assignments.