Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts (R), current chairman of the Senate’s Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, announced on Jan. 4 that he will not be seeking reelection in 2020.
Roberts, 82 years old, has served in Congress since 1981, has chaired both the House and Senate’s agricultural committees, and has overseen eight different farm bills.
During his Jan. 4 announcement of his planned retirement, Roberts said, “As the only two-time chairman of the both House and Senate Agriculture Committees in congressional history, I’ve always proudly been a champion for agriculture.”
His Democrat colleague, Senate Agriculture Committee’s Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) said much the same in a statement issued after Robert’s announcement.
“Throughout his career, Pat Roberts has been a true champion for American agriculture and for Kansas farmers, ranchers, and families. Day in and day out, he defines what it means to be a consensus builder.
As my true friend and partner on the Senate Agriculture Committee, he always puts the needs of our farmers and ranchers first and never wavers in his commitment to getting things done.”
