WASHINGTON D.C. – Jim Costa announced in a letter to fellow democrats that he is seeking to become the ranking member of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture.
In his letter announcing his intention to seek the role, Costa cited the incoming President-elect Donald Trump as a threat to the agricultural industry in the Central Valley.
“President-elect Trump will use Project 2025 as a roadmap for governing our nation,” Costa wrote. “President-elect Trump says he is going to eliminate our strong agricultural workforce by deporting millions of farmworkers, leaving their families broken, our farmers, ranchers, dairy men and women bankrupt, and everyone else paying more at the grocery store.”
Costa has been a member of the committee for 20 years and served on the State of California Senate Committee on Agriculture and Water during his time as a state senator. He cites his experiences as a politician and as a dairy farmer that give him the experience necessary to lead his party on the committee.
He wrote that priorities would include protecting SNAP funding, safeguarding the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and the Inflation Reduction Act and improving agriculture trade with foreign countries.
“Throughout my career, I have spent a lifetime cultivating relationships with farmers and hunger advocates, and I bring firsthand knowledge of what it takes to put food on the table each day,” Costa said. “I have a track record of working with traditional agriculture, while also pushing more progressive policies to better position and protect our food systems for the future.”
The agriculture committee is responsible for setting policy and plays a role in the administration of federal agencies and budget policies that impact things like federal grants.
