WASHINGTON – On Monday, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, was selected to serve on the House Agriculture Committee.
“I promised 4th District Iowans that I would deliver a seat on the House Agriculture Committee, and today, I am thrilled to announce I have been selected to serve on this important committee,” Feenstra said. “Corn and soybean growers – along with our livestock, egg, dairy, poultry, ethanol, and biodiesel producers – form the backbone of the 4th District’s economy. As the second-largest ag producing district in the country, it is vital that our hardworking farmers have a seat at the table on the House Agriculture Committee.
“I am honored to be a voice for Iowa and the Midwest on this committee. I have lived in Northwest Iowa my whole life, so fighting for rural Iowa and defending our rural main streets is personal to me. I look forward to working with my colleagues to deliver results for rural Iowa by promoting policies that create jobs and drive economic growth.”
According to the USDA, Iowa’s 4th District is the largest crop growing district in the country, number one in hog and pig production, second in overall ag production, and third largest in livestock, poultry, and products.
On the House Agriculture Committee, Feenstra says he will work to provide pricing transparency in U.S. agriculture markets; protect the Renewable Fuel Standard and the biofuels industry; expand broadband access; bolster Iowa’s relationship with the state’s top trading partners, Canada and Mexico; support family farms by keeping taxes low and fighting against burdensome regulations; and encourage innovation in agriculture to help spur economic growth.
Rep. Feenstra grew up working on farms, frequently walking beans and doing chores. His in-laws run a livestock and crop farm in Sioux County, where he helps out along with his wife and four kids – spending many weekends bailing hay, loading hogs, vaccinating cattle, and maintaining seven finishing sites.
In the Iowa Senate, Feenstra led an effort that eliminated Iowa’s grain bin tax, passed assistance for first-time farmers to help them get on their feet, worked with Farm Bureau to create health plans tailored to rural Iowa when Obamacare premiums skyrocketed, created incentives for private telecommunication companies to expand rural broadband, and helped pass the differential bill to expand ethanol and biodiesel consumption. Now on the House Agriculture Committee, Feenstra says he will work to expand his record of results and fight for Iowa farmers in Congress by once again giving them a seat at the table.
