Agriculture & Rural Affairs Steering Committee

Responsible for all matters pertaining to USDA agriculture, rural development programs, rural renewable energy development, research and extension, food safety, and conservation programs.

Agriculture

Blog

U.S. House advances bipartisan legislation to address farm labor shortages

U.S. House advances bipartisan legislation to address farm labor shortages by improving the H-2A Visa program
Public Lands

Blog

House Appropriations Committee Advances Interior-EPA Spending Bill

House Appropriations panel advances Interior-EPA spending bill, including several major wins for counties.
Agriculture

Blog

Senate agriculture leaders ask White House to quickly nominate new USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development

On May 3, U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) sent a letter to the president thanking him for signing the 2018 farm bill and urging him to act quickly on nominating a candidate for Under Secretary for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Public Lands

Blog

U.S. Senate Confirms David Bernhardt as Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior

On April 11, the U.S. Senate voted 56-41 to confirm David Bernhardt as Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). Prior to his confirmation, Sec. Bernhardt served as Deputy Secretary of the Interior under Secretary Ryan Zinke, becoming Acting Secretary in January 2019 after Sec. Zinke resigned.
Public Lands

Blog

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes delisting all gray wolves under Endangered Species Act

On March 14, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) proposed delisting all gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), stating that the species has recovered sufficiently and is stable enough to no longer require ESA protections.

More news

Latest Resources

NACo Analysis of the President’s FY 2021 Budget Request

Reports & Toolkits | Mar. 9, 2020

On February 10, President Trump released his Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 budget request, laying out a $4.8 trillion federal spending proposal for FY 2021 and recommendations to balance the budget by 2035.
Counties and Military Installations 101: Leveraging the Farm Bill to Promote Compatible Land Use and Community Development

Reports & Toolkits | Jan. 21, 2020

Counties and Military Installations 101: Leveraging the Farm Bill to Promote Compatible Land Use and Community Development
2020 NACo Policy Priorities

Reports & Toolkits | Jan. 13, 2020

NACo works to preserve local decision making, protect counties from unfunded mandates and preemption and strengthen the federal-state-local partnership.

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Agriculture and Rural Affairs Steering Committee

Chair

Melissa McKinlay
Commissioner
Palm Beach County, Florida

Vice Chair

Terry Burroughs
Commissioner
Okeechobee County, Florida

Harrison Moody
Supervisor
Dinwiddie County, Virginia

Craig Pedersen
Supervisor
Kings County, California

Luis Sanchez
Commissioner
Midland County, Texas

Subcommittee Chair

Bob Fox (Agriculture and Food Safety)
Commissioner
Renville County, Minnesota

James Schmidt (Rural Development)
Commissioner
Lincoln County, South Dakota

Subcommittee Vice Chair

Alexander Barnett (Agriculture and Food Safety)
County Judge/Executive
Harrison County, Kentucky

Tony Cherry (Rural Development)
Commissioner
Choctaw County, Alabama

Melvyn Houser
County Auditor
Pottawattamie County, Iowa

Keith Langenhahn (Agriculture and Food Safety)
Field Services Representative
Wisconsin Counties Association, Wisconsin

David Meyer (Agriculture and Food Safety)
Chairman
Washington County, Illinois

Lee Patterson (Rural Development)
Commissioner
Calhoun County, Alabama

Contact

Arthur Scott

Associate Legislative Director – Political Outreach Manager

(202) 942-4230

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Agriculture & Rural Affairs Steering Committee

U.S. House advances bipartisan legislation to address farm labor shortages

House Appropriations Committee Advances Interior-EPA Spending Bill

Senate agriculture leaders ask White House to quickly nominate new USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development

U.S. Senate Confirms David Bernhardt as Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes delisting all gray wolves under Endangered Species Act

Latest Resources

NACo Analysis of the President’s FY 2021 Budget Request

Counties and Military Installations 101: Leveraging the Farm Bill to Promote Compatible Land Use and Community Development

2020 NACo Policy Priorities

Advocacy Resources