Legislative and Government Relations: Who Should I Contact at the State and National Levels?
Table of Contents
- US House Committee on Agriculture
- US House Committee on Appropriations
- US Senate
- US Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee
- US Senate Committee on Appropriations
- Useful Links: Contact Information for US Congress, Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee members, & State Legislatures
US House Committee on Agriculture
The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture is invested with broad jurisdiction over all "subjects relating to agriculture." The committee is responsible for agricultural trade, agricultural research, crop insurance, the farm bill, farm credit, food safety, and welfare and nutrition programs. The committee submits an Oversight Plan (at the beginning of each congress) outlining topics of pending oversight activity for the committee - the Oversight Plan can be accessed by selecting the "Plan for Legislative Work" from the pull down menu on the home page.
The web site is well organized and easy to navigate. The front layer features three pull down menus offering easy access to all sections of the Committee on Agriculture site. The front layer also features an "at work on your concerns" with links to highlighted subjects. Currently "America's Harvest" (viewable only in Explorer), "Crop Insurance" (providing an overview of the new crop insurance covered by the Agricultural Risk Protection Act available for farmers) and information about the "New Farm Bill for 2002" are featured.
The full text of the farm bill is accessible from the site, as well as the Statement of Managers resolving items of disagreement between the House and Senate on the farm bill. The statement also presents a narrative outlining the original positions taken by both the House and Senate on the bill. The text of the original farm bills of both the House and Senate is posted. A list of the House and Senate Conference Committee members formed to finalize the farm bill is also available. The transcript from President Bush's address as he signed the farm bill is now accessible.
The committee web site features a list of the current members of the Committee on Agriculture, with links to each member's congressional web site. The site also includes a page listing the following five Subcommittees with a separate page for each of the following subcommittees:
- Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry
- Livestock and Horticulture
- Specialty Crops and Foreign Agriculture Programs
- Conservation, Credit, Rural Development and Research
- General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
The subcommittee page provides a brief description of the areas of responsibility for each subcommittee. The site provides a separate page for each subcommittee with links to their hearings, a list of subcommittee members, and an archive of hearings (from 1997-2000).
The Agriculture Committee schedule of hearings is listed, and the site provides live audio to the hearings. Opening statements and official transcripts (with an archive going back to 1997) for hearings are also provided. The web site contains a separate page for House Committee on Agriculture news releases. In addition, the site contains an archive of news releases from 1999-2000. Interested individuals can subscribe to House Committee on Agriculture news releases and hearing schedules. Currently no upcoming hearings are scheduled for the Committee on Agriculture.
The House Committee on Agriculture site also contains a Glossary of Agricultural Terms, Programs and Laws, with an alphabetical subject list and a search engine. Separate search engines allow users to search the Committee on Agriculture site, current legislation, and Agriculture Committee news releases.
US House Committee on Appropriations
The Committee on Appropriations is invested with jurisdiction over the federal budget and appropriates funds to the government. The front layer of the committee web site features the latest news, a link to the most recent weekly hearing schedule, a search engine for the site, and instructions for sending testimony to selected committees, including the subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. A side frame provides the major links used to navigate the site and includes committee membership, general information, news releases, program terminations, and a schedule of hearings. The Committee Oversight Plan and Committee Rules are also available from the home page.
The most recent appropriations information can be accessed under "General Information" and includes lists of conferees appointed to various bills and table amounts for the Education Spending Bill. Selected information, including conferees, letters, fact sheets, and committee highlights are available for 2000-2001. However, the full text of Appropriations Bills (with a 2000-2001 archive) is only accessible by clicking on Minority (Democratic) Information.
Hearings schedules are posted for selected committees, including the subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. The site posts a weekly schedule for all committees; a schedule of markups and conference meetings is also posted. The subcommittee on Agriculture does not currently have any upcoming hearings scheduled.
Current news releases are posted at the site and contain Appropriations Committee announcements of hearing schedules. Releases provide brief information regarding the hearing, and a list of witnesses for the hearing - the preceding information is not available by clicking on the schedule of hearings or the weekly schedule. An archive from both sessions of the 106th and the first session of the 107th congress is accessible from the site.
The committee web site features a list of the current members of the Appropriations Committee, with links to each member's congressional web site. The site also includes a subcommittee membership list for all thirteen subcommittees including the subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. The role and responsibilities for subcommittees is not posted at the site.
This is an introductory page. It displays a tentative calendar of Senate activities (meetings, hearings, etc.) for the current day, a bill search mechanism and links to Senate members, committees, the committee hearing schedule, legislative activities, etc.
The Senate Committee page (http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/committees/d_three_sections_with_teasers/committees_home.htm) lists/provides links to Standing Committees, Special, Select and Other Committees and Joint Committees. It also provides a schedule of the current day's meetings and times as well as links to information about the committee system, committee assignments, committee memberships, caucuses, an organizational chart, Senate history and other topics.
Each committee page is formatted slightly differently but each features a list of committee and subcommittee members, contact information, a schedule of committee hearings, legislation currently before the committee, press releases, links to other sites of current interest as well as pages unique to each committee.
There are five committees that regularly address issues that affect agriculture. They are:
- Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee (http://agriculture.senate.gov/)
- Appropriations Committee (http://appropriations.senate.gov/agriculture.cfm)
- Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee (http://commerce.senate.gov/)
- Energy and Natural Resources Committee (http://energy.senate.gov/)
- Environment and Public Works Committee (http://epw.senate.gov/)
US Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee
US Senate Committee on Appropriations
The Committee on Appropriations is invested with jurisdiction over the federal budget and appropriates funds to the government. The subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies appropriates funding for the Department of Agriculture (Except Forest Service); Farm Credit Administration; Farm Credit System Financial Assistance Corporation; Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Food and Drug Administration (HHS). The success of our national agricultural information system is predicated upon sufficient government funding, and the Committee on Appropriations site is useful for examining and monitoring federal allocations related to agriculture.
Highlights
Subcommittees: Obtain a list of agriculture subcommittee members (useful for contacting and lobbying) and read the recent related press releases and events (includes hearings).
Legislation: Peruse the fulltext of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004. Read amendments to the bill and find related legislation.
Committee Documents: Review the revised suballocations to subcommittees for FY 2004, including the agriculture subcommittee.
Links: Check the status of FY 2004 appropriations bills for agriculture; includes House and Senate Reports and a record of the House and Senate votes.
Useful Links
Contact information for US Senators
Contact information for US Representatives
LawResearch Directory of State Legislatures