Articles Tagged with ''House Ag Committee''

Justin Benavidez, who was chief economist for the House Agriculture Committee's Republican staff for the past three years, is succeeding Seth Meyer as USDA chief economist.

President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January and quickly followed through on many of his campaign promises – an aggressive trade agenda, a renewed focus on food inflation, and the use of a Republican-controlled House and Senate to enact a sweeping budget reconciliation bill that included major new agriculture spending. Take a look back at Agri-Pulse's top stories in 2025. 

Fourteen House Republicans have come out against including language addressing California's Proposition 12 in the skinny farm bill, complicating a push by pork producers and other ag groups to overturn the 2018 law.

Congress has returned to session after the August recess. House Ag Committee Chair Glenn "GT" Thompson has continued to vocalize his goals to take committee action on a “farm bill 2.0” in September to address elements not included in President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. During an interview for Agri-Pulse Newsmakers, the chairman discussed what’s on his radar this fall: farm aid payments, tariffs, ag labor reform legislation, the USDA reorganization plan, and his vision for "farm bill 2.0." 

Bobby Frederick is starting a new position as senior director, head of federal government relations for Cargill Inc. CropLife America hired Environmental Protection Agency alumnus Venus Welch-White as director of government affairs.Those are just two of several job changes in ag organizations and on Capitol Hill. 

Growers and agricultural company executives on Tuesday told lawmakers that updating the nation's regulatory framework for a variety of agricultural tools could allow for new technologies to be developed faster.

The Senate Agriculture Committee voted along party lines Monday evening to send two USDA nominations to the Senate floor: Stephen Vaden to be deputy ag secretary and Tyler Clarkson to be USDA’s general counsel.

CropLife America hired Annemarie Pender as senior director of strategic communications. Landus president and CEO Matt Carstens abruptly stepped down on Friday, April 4.

Combest, Sell & Associates hired Sydney Lundberg as a staff economist based in Washington D.C. National Pork Board CEO Bill Even will leave his position on May 1 after nine years leading the organization. John Hendrix was promoted to legislative assistant on the House Agriculture Committee majority staff. 

The California Ag Leadership Foundation added Davidson Pattiz, CEO of Zenith Insurance Company, as a board member. Marla Livengood was named Cal Cities’ regional public affairs manager for the Central Valley Division. 

President Trump appointed Josh F.W. Cook as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in California and the Pacific Southwest. Wilbur Ellis promoted Kayla Allen to senior credit analyst.

USDA named Alec Varsamis deputy communications director. A veteran of the first Trump administration, he was press secretary and acting communications director for then-Agriculture Secretary Sonny Purdue. Since then, Versamis has worked at agencies Ketchum and Veno Group in account supervisor roles focused on agriculture, food and ingredients as well as crisis and issue management communications. He is a graduate of the University of San Francisco.