Waco Rep. Chet Edwards becomes lone Texan on Agriculture subcommittee
Tribune-Herald staff report
Chet Edwards
U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, is the newest member of a House subcommittee with influence over the country’s farm and ranch programs.
Edwards, the 13th-highest ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, became Texas’ only member on the committee’s 12-person Agriculture subcommittee that controls the purse strings for agricultural programs.
The assignment was part of a reshuffling that followed the death of high-ranking Appropriations member John Murtha, D-Penn.
Edwards gave up his seat on Financial Services and accepted the spot. It is considered a prized position for members from rural districts.
Texas Farm Bureau officials were happy about Edwards’ assignment, according to a press release. They said it would be a boon to the state and Edwards’ district.
The district includes eight rural counties, the Farm Bureau headquarters and Texas A&M University.
“If Chet Edwards calls up the Department of Agriculture about something, they’ll listen to him more than a (House) member who’s not on the subcommittee,” said Steve Pringle, legislative director of the Texas Farm Bureau.
RELATED SEARCHES
MORE IN FARM AND RANCH »
