Thompson named top Republican on House Agriculture Committee

U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) has been named the top Republican on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, his office announced in a statement.

Thompson, 61, was elected by his peers to the position Wednesday night. He represents the commonwealth's 15th Congressional District, which covers a large portion of rural Pennsylvania, stretching from Warren County to Centre County.

Thompson has previously served as chair of an Agriculture's Committee's General Farm Commodities and Risk Management subcommittee, which allowed him to run for the full committee's leadership position.

The promotion is significant for Pennsylvania, where 1-in-7 jobs are in or are linked to the agriculture industry.

His new role allows him to determine which policies the GOP introduces and supports on the ag committee for the next two years.

"Rural broadband, and everything that goes with that," Thompson said of his priorities during an interview on the topic last month. "Rural health care, rural commerce. Rural economic development, whether its rural utilities, all of that happens through the Farm Bill."

Thompson will assume his new role when the 117th Congress officially begins in January.