Pennsylvania lawmaker among those being considered for Trump Cabinet post
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A Pennsylvania member of Congress may be in line for a Cabinet post in the new Trump administration.
House Agriculture Chair Glenn Thompson is among the candidates under consideration as Trump’s agriculture secretary, according to a report in E&E News/Politico.
Thompson has served in the House since 2009, most recently representing the 15th district in north-central Pennsylvania, and was among the Republican elected officials campaigning for Trump across the state during the election season.
The Trump transition team neither confirmed nor denied Thompson’s candidacy, E&E reported.
Matthew Brennan, Thompson’s chief of staff, told E&E in a statement that the congressman was “humbled by the prospect” of being nominated, but was focused on his work on the farm bill, the five-year package of legislation addressing agriculture and food policy.
The Bellefonte native has deep experience working on agricultural issues, is viewed as a moderate on climate change and someone who can work both sides of the aisle.
In 2023, Thompson became the first Pennsylvanian to lead the House Agriculture Committee in 168 years, when the GOP took control of the House.
Agriculture is big business in Pennsylvania with some 52,000 farms and 7.9 million acres of farmland, generating $82 billion. Pennsylvania is the nation’s number one mushroom producer and ranks among the top producers of fruit, dairy and ice cream in the country.
Thompson has taken heat in the last two years among members of the Pennsylvania agriculture community for his support of the EATS Act, part of the still pending farm bill.
The act would override 1,000 state and local laws, including 30 in Pennsylvania, governing animal housing and disease prevention, and prohibit state and local governments from establishing laws and standards on any agricultural products produced in another state.
Among the laws at issue in California and elsewhere are those that have improved conditions for animals in commercial agriculture facilities, such as cage-free chicken housing. Many Pennsylvania farmers oppose the act because they have invested millions in upgrading animal housing to comply with laws in other states that buy their products.
Among the other potential candidates being floated for Agriculture Secretary according to E&E are: Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agriculture Affairs Ted McKinney; Kip Tom, formerly U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture;.
The Department of Agriculture is comprised of 29 agencies and 100,000 employees with a budget is almost $200 billion. The department oversees a wide range of programs beyond agriculture, including food and nutrition assistance programs, like WIC and SNAP, natural resources and rural development.