House Democrats on Thursday voted to elect Rep. David ScottDavid Albert ScottDeLauro wins Steering Committee vote for Appropriations chair Race for House ag chair heats up Business groups scramble to forge ties amid race for House Agriculture chair MORE (D-Ga.) to be the next Agriculture Committee chairman, making him the first Black lawmaker in the chamber’s history to hold the position.
Scott will take over in January from Rep. Collin PetersonCollin Clark PetersonOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump admin to sell oil leases at Arctic wildlife refuge before Biden takes office |Trump administration approves controversial oil testing method in Gulf of Mexico | Rep. Scott wins House Agriculture Committee gavel Rep. David Scott wins House Agriculture Committee gavel The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Mastercard – Dem leaders back smaller COVID-19 relief bill as pandemic escalates MORE (D-Minn.), who chaired the committee for six of his nearly 30 years in Congress but lost reelection last month in a district long targeted by the GOP.
Scott easily prevailed over Rep. Jim CostaJames (Jim) Manuel CostaOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump admin to sell oil leases at Arctic wildlife refuge before Biden takes office |Trump administration approves controversial oil testing method in Gulf of Mexico | Rep. Scott wins House Agriculture Committee gavel Rep. David Scott wins House Agriculture Committee gavel DeLauro wins Steering Committee vote for Appropriations chair MORE (D-Calif.), his only rival for the Agriculture post, by a 144-83 vote, according to a Democratic aide.
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The House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which determines members’ committee assignments, voted on Tuesday to recommend Scott to hold the Agriculture gavel. The full House Democratic Caucus voted Thursday to ratify the Steering panel’s recommendation.
Scott had an edge for the chairman role as the most senior Democrat on the Agriculture Committee after Peterson. Scott also currently chairs an Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit.
In a letter to colleagues shortly after Peterson’s loss, Scott said he would use the post “with a principled focus on addressing inequities in agriculture and advancing racial progress for all.”
Picking Scott, who represents parts of the Atlanta metropolitan area, reflects a shift in the tradition of selecting a chair from a rural area and shows the growing importance the party places on the committee’s work dealing with food stamps and the school lunch program.
“While millions of Americans are one financial setback — a cut in their hours or an emergency room visit — away from food insecurity it is the duty of Congress to set forth programs that provide a safety net for our most vulnerable citizens,” he wrote in November.
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House Democrats also voted Thursday to select Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) as the next Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman after a disappointing showing in this year’s elections where they had originally expected to gain seats only to fail to unseat a single GOP incumbent. Maloney will oversee the party’s efforts to maintain the House majority in 2022.
Democrats also moved to elect Rep. Rosa DeLauroRosa Luisa DeLauroOn The Money: COVID-19 relief picks up steam as McConnell, Pelosi hold talks | Slowing job growth raises fears of double-dip recession | Biden officially announces Brian Deese as top economic adviser Overnight Defense: Lawmakers release compromise defense bill in defiance of Trump veto threat | Senate voting next week on blocking UAE arms sale | Report faults lack of training, ‘chronic fatigue’ in military plane crashes Rep. David Scott wins House Agriculture Committee gavel MORE (D-Conn.) as the next chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee and Rep. Gregory MeeksGregory Weldon MeeksThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Mastercard – Congress inches closer to virus relief deal Overnight Defense: Lawmakers release compromise defense bill in defiance of Trump veto threat | Senate voting next week on blocking UAE arms sale | Report faults lack of training, ‘chronic fatigue’ in military plane crashes Rep. David Scott wins House Agriculture Committee gavel MORE (D-N.Y.) to hold the House Foreign Affairs Committee gavel.
Like Scott, Meeks will be the first Black lawmaker to chair his committee.
The current Appropriations Committee chairwoman, Rep. Nita LoweyNita Sue LoweyOvernight Defense: Lawmakers release compromise defense bill in defiance of Trump veto threat | Senate voting next week on blocking UAE arms sale | Report faults lack of training, ‘chronic fatigue’ in military plane crashes Rep. David Scott wins House Agriculture Committee gavel House Democrats pick DeLauro to lead Appropriations panel MORE (D-N.Y.), is retiring, while House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot EngelEliot Lance EngelRep. David Scott wins House Agriculture Committee gavel Democrats elect Meeks as first Black Foreign Affairs chairman The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Mastercard – Dem leaders back smaller COVID-19 relief bill as pandemic escalates MORE (D-N.Y.) lost his primary over the summer.