U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today announced his subcommittee assignments on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee for the 114th session of Congress (2015-2016). Thune will serve on the Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade; the Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy; and the Subcommittee on Livestock, Marketing, and Agriculture Security.
“With passage of the 2014 Farm Bill behind us, I look forward to continued oversight of USDA’s implementation process, especially over Commodity Title programs and crop insurance,” said Thune. “My subcommittee assignments will help me better represent South Dakota’s crop and livestock producers and enable me to more actively support rural development in our state.”
Thune was selected to serve on the following subcommittees:
Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade
This subcommittee oversees matters regarding production agriculture, including commodity programs, crop insurance, commodity exchanges, agriculture trade, international food assistance, and credit.
Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy
This subcommittee oversees the many programs in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development mission area, including housing, utilities, loans, and renewable energy.
Subcommittee on Livestock, Marketing, and Agriculture Security
This subcommittee oversees matters involving livestock and dairy production, as well as markets, food safety, and security issues.
The Senate Agriculture Committee has oversight over matters relating to: USDA activities including: farm payments, crop insurance, conservation programs, and livestock marketing rules; the Rural Utilities Service and Rural Development, which carry out important programs relating to rural energy development, rural business financing, and rural health care services; nutrition programs including the National School Lunch Program, the Women, Infants, and Children program, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps); and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which oversees all futures markets.