Davids Announces Committee Assignments for the 118th Congress
Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced that she has been named to serve on the House Transportation & Infrastructure and House Agriculture Committees in the 118th Congress. Davids' role on these committees represents a voice for the state on two major drivers of Kansas' economy, particularly in the newly-redrawn Kansas Third.
Additionally, both committees plan to consider major legislation this session. The Agriculture Committee will consider the Farm Bill, which determines federal agriculture and nutrition policy impacting Kansas families both urban and rural. The Transportation & Infrastructure Committee plans to take up the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) reauthorization, which will address changing airspace demands and technologies, including the FAA system failure that recently came under scrutiny by Davids and her colleagues.
"I'm proud to represent a diverse and vibrant community, and through these committee assignments I will work to build an economy that works for everyone in our district," said Davids. "Infrastructure and agriculture are issues that touch every person in the Kansas Third—the food we eat, the water we drink, the systems that connect us. My goal on these committees is to bring Kansans' voices, concerns, and successes to my work in Washington."
Transportation and Infrastructure
Davids became the first Kansan on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in over a decade in 2019 and served as the Vice Chair last Congress. Prior to taking office, she served as a White House fellow in the Department of Transportation under the Obama and Trump administrations.
During her tenure on the committee, Davids assisted in the investigation into the Boeing 737 MAX crashes, passed into law bipartisan legislation on transformational aviation technology, and delivered the largest investment in our nation's infrastructure in generations. She has brought the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to visit the Kansas Third, as well as current committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (WA-02) and former Chairman Peter DeFazio (OR-04), to highlight local projects and the abundance of nationally-important infrastructure that converges in the Kansas City area.
"Too often, we only think about infrastructure when it fails—but when we make smart policy choices, infrastructure has the power to connect us and to build the foundation for future economic growth. Just look at the bipartisan infrastructure law, which is already making a huge difference in the Kansas Third," said Davids. "I look forward to continuing to represent the Kansas Third and improve lives in our community through the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee."
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee oversees all modes of transportation: aviation, maritime, highways, bridges, mass transit, and railroads. It also has jurisdiction over clean water and waste water management, flood damage reduction, and disaster preparedness and response. This Congress, the Committee will consider crucial legislation like the FAA reauthorization and the next Water Resources Development Act, and will oversee implementation of the historic bipartisan infrastructure law.
Agriculture
Davids joined the House Agriculture Committee last Congress and has been reinstated this Congress. After last year's redistricting process, the Kansas Third district includes the entirety of Anderson, Franklin, and Miami Counties, all three of which contain significant rural populations and agricultural areas. Davids has hosted U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretaries Jennifer Lester Moffitt and Xochitl Torres Small for visits to the Third District to learn about the area's meatpacking and dairy industries, respectively. She was also named a Friend of the Farm Bureau by the Kansas Farm Bureau in 2022.
"It's my honor to represent all corners of the Third District, urban and rural, and I look forward to bringing Kansans' voices to Washington as we work on the critically important Farm Bill this Congress," said Davids. "I've been listening and learning since I joined the Committee late last year, and it is my hope that we will find common ground to pass a Farm Bill the supports our entire food system and economy."
The House Agriculture Committee has jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy, including forestry, nutrition, conservation, and other agriculture-related fields. It also oversees rural development broadly.