Recognizing Members Leaving House Agriculture Committee

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a few of my distinguished colleagues on the House Committee on Agriculture. These colleagues have been invaluable teammates in our fight for America's farmers and ranchers, but they are also colleagues who will be moving on to other adventures next year.

First, the gentleman from Missouri, Mark Alford, representing the Fourth District, is a former news anchor and now the host of ``Mark Alford's America'' radio show. Congressman Alford is a megaphone for Missouri's number one industry, agriculture.

I was fortunate enough to visit the Missouri State Fair with Mr. Alford last year, and I know that he will continue to be a fighter for America's farmers and ranchers.

Next is Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer from Oregon's First District. Congresswoman Chavez-DeRemer graciously hosted the Agriculture Committee in her district for one of our farm bill listening sessions, which provided us with critical producer input crucial to the drafting of the committee's farm bill.

Tapped by President Trump to serve as the next Secretary of Labor, I know she will do great things, and I wish Congresswoman Chavez-DeRemer the very best.

Congressman John Duarte brought his firsthand experience as a California farmer to our committee in a pivotal year for our Nation's farmers and ranchers. In what some have called a perfect poster child for the regulatory issues we need fixed, Mr. Duarte came in the crosshairs of the Obama administration's regulatory state due to the overreaching ``waters of the United States'' definition.

In a way only possible in America, Mr. Duarte ultimately earned a spot in Congress and a seat on the Agriculture Committee, where he was able to vote to rescind the Biden administration's flawed WOTUS rule. We will miss having him on our committee, and I wish him the best.

Next, Congressman Max Miller has been a real fighter for Ohio's agricultural industry. During his time on the committee, we traveled to listening sessions together, and I joined his agricultural advisory board calls. He has been a constant champion for our producers. He even became a father.

As he leaves the Agriculture Committee, I know Mr. Miller will continue to advocate for the Buckeye State's farmers through his work on the Ways and Means Committee.

From upstate New York's 19th District, Congressman Marc Molinaro immediately brought a unique perspective to the Agriculture Committee. Too often, the Halls of Congress seem stuck in the ways of the past, but Mr. Molinaro taught us to think differently. He was a fierce advocate for the farmers and producers from New York, and we will miss having him behind the dais.

I can't forget my friends on the other side of the aisle, either. The Agriculture Committee has a rich history of bipartisanship that started long before my chairmanship and will hopefully continue long into the future.

Congresswoman Caraveo from Colorado's Eighth District, Congresswoman Slotkin from Michigan's Seventh District, and Congresswoman Spanberger from Virginia's Seventh District are bidding farewell to the Agriculture Committee. Each represented their diverse communities with distinction on our committee, and I want to wish each of them the very best.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge my friend and brother in Christ, the current ranking member, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. David Scott), who is not retiring but rather stepping down as ranking member.

Since 2021, Congressman Scott has led the Democrats on the Agriculture Committee with distinction.

Agriculture really is not and never should be a partisan issue. In fact, it is one of the few that still unites Members from very different political backgrounds.

I am proud of the fact we have been able to find common ground on so many issues over the years. I look forward to continuing to work across the aisle with Mr. Scott, and I thank him for his service to the Agriculture Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I thank all of our colleagues for their contributions to American agriculture and wish them good luck in their next chapters.

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