The House Agriculture Committee is adding seven new Republican members. All but one, Texas Rep. Michael Cloud, are first-term members. The others: Kat Cammack of Florida, Randy Feenstra of Iowa, Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota, Tracy Mann of Kansas, Mary Miller of Illinois and Barry Moore of Alabama.

Secretary Perdue appointed Parag Chitnis as acting director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and has announced the appointment of 15 members to serve on the advisory committee on minority farmers.