California Rep. Jim Costa said Wednesday he’ll challenge Georgia’s David Scott for the top Democratic slot on the House Agriculture Committee next year.
Costa’s decision to make a second try for the position — after being passed over for chair when Democrats last held the majority — comes as the committee appears likely to face fights over the farm bill again in 2025.
“It’s a new Congress, and we’re trying to get the Ag measure reauthorized,” Costa told POLITICO’s E&E News. “We’ve got a lot of work to do in the next Congress.”
Scott, 79, has been in ailing health for some time. He has been absent from Congress since the midterm elections, when he won another two-year term. His office didn’t return a call for comment, but he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday that he’s receiving treatment for back problems and will be back in Washington after Thanksgiving.
