[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 188 (Wednesday, December 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H7322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNIZING MEMBERS LEAVING HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a few 
of my distinguished colleagues on the House Committee on Agriculture. 
These colleagues have been invaluable teammates in our fight for 
America's farmers and ranchers, but they are also colleagues who will 
be moving on to other adventures next year.
  First, the gentleman from Missouri, Mark Alford, representing the 
Fourth District, is a former news anchor and now the host of ``Mark 
Alford's America'' radio show. Congressman Alford is a megaphone for 
Missouri's number one industry, agriculture.
  I was fortunate enough to visit the Missouri State Fair with Mr. 
Alford last year, and I know that he will continue to be a fighter for 
America's farmers and ranchers.
  Next is Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer from Oregon's First 
District. Congresswoman Chavez-DeRemer graciously hosted the 
Agriculture Committee in her district for one of our farm bill 
listening sessions, which provided us with critical producer input 
crucial to the drafting of the committee's farm bill.
  Tapped by President Trump to serve as the next Secretary of Labor, I 
know she will do great things, and I wish Congresswoman Chavez-DeRemer 
the very best.
  Congressman  John Duarte brought his firsthand experience as a 
California farmer to our committee in a pivotal year for our Nation's 
farmers and ranchers. In what some have called a perfect poster child 
for the regulatory issues we need fixed, Mr. Duarte came in the 
crosshairs of the Obama administration's regulatory state due to the 
overreaching ``waters of the United States'' definition.
  In a way only possible in America, Mr. Duarte ultimately earned a 
spot in Congress and a seat on the Agriculture Committee, where he was 
able to vote to rescind the Biden administration's flawed WOTUS rule. 
We will miss having him on our committee, and I wish him the best.
  Next, Congressman Max Miller has been a real fighter for Ohio's 
agricultural industry. During his time on the committee, we traveled to 
listening sessions together, and I joined his agricultural advisory 
board calls. He has been a constant champion for our producers. He even 
became a father.
  As he leaves the Agriculture Committee, I know Mr. Miller will 
continue to advocate for the Buckeye State's farmers through his work 
on the Ways and Means Committee.
  From upstate New York's 19th District, Congressman Marc Molinaro 
immediately brought a unique perspective to the Agriculture Committee. 
Too often, the Halls of Congress seem stuck in the ways of the past, 
but Mr. Molinaro taught us to think differently. He was a fierce 
advocate for the farmers and producers from New York, and we will miss 
having him behind the dais.
  I can't forget my friends on the other side of the aisle, either. The 
Agriculture Committee has a rich history of bipartisanship that started 
long before my chairmanship and will hopefully continue long into the 
future.
  Congresswoman Caraveo from Colorado's Eighth District, Congresswoman 
Slotkin from Michigan's Seventh District, and Congresswoman Spanberger 
from Virginia's Seventh District are bidding farewell to the 
Agriculture Committee. Each represented their diverse communities with 
distinction on our committee, and I want to wish each of them the very 
best.
  Finally, I would like to acknowledge my friend and brother in Christ, 
the current ranking member, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.   David 
Scott), who is not retiring but rather stepping down as ranking member.
  Since 2021, Congressman Scott has led the Democrats on the 
Agriculture Committee with distinction.
  Agriculture really is not and never should be a partisan issue. In 
fact, it is one of the few that still unites Members from very 
different political backgrounds.
  I am proud of the fact we have been able to find common ground on so 
many issues over the years. I look forward to continuing to work across 
the aisle with Mr. Scott, and I thank him for his service to the 
Agriculture Committee.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank all of our colleagues for their contributions to 
American agriculture and wish them good luck in their next chapters.

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