Some of the Senate's biggest battles next year will be over the new multiyear farm bill and the size of the U.S. military. South Dakota Sen. John Thune expects to be in the middle of both of them, by virtue of his new committee assignments.
Next year, when Thune takes his seat on the Armed Services Committee, he'll probably be considering a plan to temporarily increase the number of troops in Iraq to try to quell sectarian violence.
The committee also might consider a plan to increase the size of the nation's permanent active-duty military in the coming years by as many as 70,000 new troops. The military is under strain due to multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Also on the horizon for Thune are critical decisions on agriculture policy. At his request, he will join the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee for the first time in January, just months before the committee is expected to kick its farm bill hearings into high gear.
Agriculture is South Dakota's biggest economic engine, and despite being in the minority party, Thune, a Republican, still will have plenty of influence on the Democrat-controlled committee. He helped craft the 2002 farm bill when he was a member of the House Agriculture Committee.
The farm bill is a blueprint for defining the federal government's role in agriculture, ranging from crop subsidies and trade to conservation and nutrition programs."It's always a big fight, but it tends not to be as much a fight between Republicans and Democrats as it is between regions," Thune said. "It tends to be Midwesterners versus Southerners and Easterners."
It's good to hear Senator Thune is receiving these committee positions. Congratulations, Senator!
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