U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop named ranking member on House ag subcommittee

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr., D-Albany, has been selected to serve as ranking member for the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.

Bishop, who was re-elected in November, will serve as the leading Democratic Party member of the subcommittee that has funding jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the Farm Credit Administration, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

“Being selected as ranking member for the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies is an honor and a privilege,” Bishop said. “In addition to supporting the USDA’s farm programs, the funding provided by this subcommittee serves as the primary conduit to assist rural America, and also supports the administration of our nation’s food and nutrition safety net and conservation programs.

“Agriculture is the largest industry in Georgia, contributing $71 billion annually to the state’s economy and supporting one in seven jobs. More broadly, our nation is the breadbasket for the world, and we export over $133 billion worth of agriculture products. The strength of our agriculture sector not only supports our economy, but it also helps protect our national security by ensuring a robust food supply here at home and in countries around the world. I look forward to this new leadership role, and I promise to do my dead level best to continue serving the farmers, ranchers, producers, and consumers in Georgia and across this country.”

Bishop also will continue to serve as a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies.

“I am pleased to continue serving on the subcommittee that funds both our nation’s military construction efforts and the programs that care for our nation’s veterans,” Bishop said. “The work of this subcommittee is of significant importance to the state of Georgia, particularly as we face a new Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process.

“Georgia houses nine military facilities and bases, including Fort Benning and the Marine Corps Logistics Base in the 2nd Congressional District of Georgia, as well as Robins Air Force Base right next door. These facilities are of vital importance to the country’s defense posture, and I am committed to fulfilling my responsibilities for our military personnel, past and present, as we go forward through this Congress.”

Congressman Bishop will also remain a member of the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, which has wide jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Treasury, the U.S. Trade Representative, the Executive Office of the President, and the nation’s independent agencies.

In addition to his subcommittee assignments, Bishop will continue to co-chair of the Congressional Military Family Caucus, Congressional Peanut Caucus and Congressional Working Forests Caucus, and will remain a member of a number of other caucuses.