Reps. Meeks, Scott elected chairs of House Foreign Affairs and Agriculture committees, first Black lawmakers to lead the panels

By Felicia Sonmez and John Wagner
12/3/2020, 6:36:00 p.m.

House Democrats and Republicans on Thursday approved their committee chairs and members for the 117th Congress, with Black lawmakers set to helm the Foreign Affairs and Agriculture committees for the first time.

Democrats elected Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (N.Y.) to chair the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Rep. David Scott (Ga.) to lead the House Agriculture Committee.

Meeks, who has served in the House since 1998, will succeed Rep. Eliot L. Engel (N.Y.), who lost his primary race earlier this year. Two other Democratic lawmakers — Reps. Joaquin Castro (Tex.) and Brad Sherman (Calif.) — were also vying for the Foreign Relations chairmanship. Meeks received a boost when he won the backing of the powerful House Democratic Steering Committee earlier this week, and he prevailed in Thursday’s full Democratic caucus vote.

Scott, who first won election to the House in 2002, is taking over the reins of the agriculture panel from Rep. Collin C. Peterson (D-Minn.), who lost reelection last month. Peterson endorsed Scott in the race, and the Georgia Democrat bested Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) in Thursday’s vote.

House Democrats also chose Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.) to succeed retiring Rep. Nita M. Lowey (D-N.Y.) as chair of the House Appropriations Committee.

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