FAMU grad US Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) was selected by his colleagues on Thursday to be the next Agriculture Committee chairman, making him the first Black lawmaker in the chamber’s history to hold the position.
Scott will take over in January from Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), who chaired the committee for six of his nearly 30 years in Congress but lost reelection last month in a district long targeted by the GOP.
Scott will take over in January from Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), who chaired the committee for six of his nearly 30 years in Congress but lost reelection last month in a district long targeted by the GOP.
Scott easily prevailed over Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), his only rival for the Agriculture post, by a 144-83 vote, according to a Democratic aide.
Scott said he would use the post “with a principled focus on addressing inequities in agriculture and advancing racial progress for all.”
“While millions of Americans are one financial setback — a cut in their hours or an emergency room visit — away from food insecurity it is the duty of Congress to set forth programs that provide a safety net for our most vulnerable citizens,” he wrote in November.
Scott, who majored in theatre at FAMU, will deliver FAMU's fall commencement address on December 12th.