WASHINGTON (DTN) -- House Agriculture Chairman Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pa., has requested a waiver to serve an additional term as chairman of the committee after completing his six-year term limit.

In a letter to the House Republican Steering Committee, Thompson expressed his intention to receive a waiver from senior Republicans.

"It is my temperament and willingness to roll up my sleeves to get the job done, which still positions me as the best member of the Republican Conference to lead the House Committee on Agriculture," the letter said.

Republican committee chairs are subject to term limits, selected in closed-door secret-ballot elections held in November after the election. Democrats select their ranking members through a seniority-based process and do not have the same term limits.

Thompson's desire to receive a waiver is not new. Since June, Republicans and agriculture association leaders have discussed with DTN whether the unfinished farm bill strengthens the case for allowing Thompson to continue as chairman.

They said arguments cut both ways. Thompson could make the case that continuity is needed to finish the farm bill, while the Republican inability to pass a traditional, comprehensive farm bill could also raise questions about whether the committee needs new leadership.

Thompson cited several accomplishments in his request, including defeating former President Joe Biden's climate agenda, advancing a bipartisan digital assets bill, passing the House version of the farm bill and codifying SNAP and farm program changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill.

He is currently leading the charge on the Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act and recently introduced a bill to prohibit eminent domain over agricultural land, called the Not In My Barn Yard Act.

Thompson told reporters Tuesday that farm bill conferencing has already begun at the staff level between House and Senate Republicans.

"The majority of the farm bill we passed and sent over is consistent with what the Senate has," he said.

WHO COULD FOLLOW THOMPSON?

Thompson also serves as a senior member on the Education and the Workforce Committee, tying his advocacy for whole milk in schools legislation to that panel, which the president signed into law early this year. Two sources familiar with the discussions told DTN that Thompson was also considering seeking the chairmanship of that committee.

If Thompson does not receive a waiver, Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., would be among the members next in line. Scott has expressed interest.

Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., the most senior Republican on the committee, previously served in committee leadership from 2011-2015.

DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP

On the Democratic side, Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., currently leads Democrats on the committee but will leave the House early next year.

Craig lost Minnesota's Democratic Senate primary to Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. However, she could potentially return to Capitol Hill if Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., wins the governor's race and appoints Craig to fill the remainder of her Senate term.

Craig's departure would open a competition for the top Democratic position and potentially the chairmanship if Democrats regain control of the House in the midterm elections.

The leading contender is Cleveland-area Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, who has served on the committee since 2021.

Before Craig became ranking member, the late Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., fought to retain the position amid concerns about his health and calls for generational change. Reps. Jim Costa, D-Calif., and Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., also expressed interest in late 2024.

Scott eventually dropped out after failing to secure enough support from the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

According to four sources familiar with the transition, a deal was struck between the Congressional Black Caucus and some Democratic leaders that if Scott stepped aside, Brown -- also a member of the CBC -- would be next in line. Craig's departure allows that.

Brown has since been building her agriculture portfolio in Ohio and has openly discussed her interest in committee leadership with stakeholders, according to three industry groups.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE?

House members will have to support the conferencing process and potentially reconcile provisions the Senate advances that differ from the House bill. Those differences could include E15 language, which oil refiners and biofuel interests have struggled to compromise on, as well as mandatory country-of-origin labeling, which was not included in the House version.

Thompson told reporters this week that the committee will hold additional hearings this year, but did not indicate their topics.

A House delegation returned from the August recess after holding a listening session in Hawaii.

A new group of former commodity CEOs and farmers, Restore American Ag, has formed to criticize what it sees as a lack of speed and thoroughness in addressing the struggling farm economy. The group has also criticized the committee for not holding a hearing specifically focused on the farm economy.

Pam Johnson, a Floyd County, Iowa, farmer and former president of the National Corn Growers Association, told reporters: "Do you want the status quo, or do you want a breath of fresh air? Do you want people who are just going to go to Congress to attack each other and work for the party, or do you want people who are going to be there to work for the people who elected them?"

Thompson pushed back on criticism that the committee has not done enough. "That's just not true."

In 2026, the committee has held hearings on the implementation of farm safety net measures included in H.R. 1, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and testimony from U.S. Department of Agriculture and Commodity Futures Trading Commission officials.

"Everything has been in the context of the challenges our farmers have been facing," he said.

Jake Zajkowski can be reached at jake.zajkowski@dtn.com

Follow him on social platform X @jzajkow

(c) Copyright 2026 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.