House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., defeated in his bid for another term in office, has thrown his support behind Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., to be the next leader of the panel.
Noting he firmly believes in the seniority system for choosing the leaders of committees, Peterson said in a letter to Davis, “You have remained a permanent member of the Ag Committee since coming to Congress, where you have worked tirelessly to protect our nutrition program safety net, fought for our 1890 Institutions, and other HBCUs, ensuring opportunities and assistance for minority students who want to get involved in agriculture-related fields, and make sure that there is an adequate safety net for our specialty crop, commodity crop and livestock producers.”
While noting that the two “haven't always agreed on every issue,” Peterson said they have been able to work together “to find a path forward on those issues over the years.”
Peterson said he followed Rep. Kika de la Garza, D-Texas, the first Hispanic panel leader and “it will be another important milestone to have the first African-American Chair.”
Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., is also seeking support of Democratic members of the panel to become the Chair.