Although the House Agriculture Committee’s name screams “rural,” three of its new members are urban Democrats: Reps. Bobby Rush from Chicago, Ro Khanna from Silicon Valley, and Luis Correa from Orange County, California. They joined the committee during an organizational meeting on Wednesday.
Traditionally, the Agriculture Committee attracts its members from farm country. In a nation where cities favor Democrats and rural America is heavily Republican, Agriculture was the most requested committee assignment among House Republicans this year. However, public nutrition programs, with food stamps at the forefront, account for two-thirds of USDA spending.
Rush, Khanna, and Correa were among 12 newcomers — five Democrats and seven Republicans — on the committee this session. Reflecting the narrow majority that Democrats hold in the House, the committee has 25 Democratic and 23 Republican members.
The list of Democratic members is available here.
The list of Republican members is available here.