Rural Districts Help Republicans Take Back House

 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Steve Foglesong said many proponents of government overreach into the cattle industry were voted out of office. Foglesong, referring to a NCBA campaign launched last week, said four members of Congress called out for not supporting cattlemen and women from a government takeover will not be returning to the 112 Congress.

Specifically, NCBA released advertisements and editorials in regional papers across cattle country to inform voters that Reps. Betsy Markey, D-Colo.; Debbie Halvorson, D-Ill.; Steve Kagen, D-Wis.; and John Boccieri, D-Ohio, did not sign a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to encourage a comprehensive economic analysis of a rule on livestock and poultry marketing that could put small to medium sized producers out of business. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., was also targeted for signing a letter that actually supports the rule. Except for Bennet, whose reelection bid will likely end in a recount, all candidates targeted in the campaign were defeated. 

“Over the past two years, our nation’s farmers and ranchers have overcome threats of a cap and trade bill, legislation to ban the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture and a rapidly expanding federal government," Foglesong. "Despite what leadership in the 111^th Congress may have believed, cattle producers don’t need big government setting up camp in cattle country. I am hopeful the newly elected members of Congress will restore some much needed balance and commonsense to Congress."

Agriculture committees

Gary Blumenthal, president of World Perspectives, Inc., pointed out that the 2010 election wave was sparked almost exclusively by the economy, an area where agriculture is fortunately not suffering. 

"More than half of the majority members of the House Agriculture Committee lost their seats meaning 15 of the 26 Democratic Committee members will not return for the 112th Congress, and more importantly, the next farm bill. By contrast, 16 of the 17 Republican members of the Committee will be back. 

"It is likely that a few seats will be added to the new Republican majority on the Agriculture Committee, and the Democratic side will also need to add some new members but they may have a shortage of 'true' farm district members in the Democratic caucus. Thus they may add urban members with a focus on environment, nutrition and food assistance, which could have a significant impact on the farm bill debate," Blumenthal said.

And with that great of a switchover on the agricultural committee, you can expect there will need to be a great deal of educating those new members, especially those who represent more urban districts.

Note that Representative John Boehner, R-Ohio, is likely to become Speaker of the House. He is a former vice chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and would be the first Speaker since Representative Tom Foley, D-Wash., who served as  Speaker from 1989-95, to have been a former Agriculture Committee member.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas lost her race. The new chairman of the Agriculture Committee is likely to be Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, a moderate Democrat, may also have a chance of taking over the helm.

This committee is top heavy with former chairmen (Senators Harkin, Leahy, Lugar, and Cochran), one former House Agriculture Committee Chairman (Roberts), and one former USDA Secretary (Johanns).  Given the budget situation and how difficult it will be to write a new Farm Bill, all the experience will come in handy.