Big ‘I’ Legislator of the Year: House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway

Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas), Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, is the Gerald Solomon-Big “I” Legislator of the Year for 2015.

Rep. Conaway was instrumental in ensuring that the Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP) was not harmed during the 2014 Farm Bill negotiations, and led the charge to reverse $3 billion in program cuts included in the 2015 Bipartisan Budget Agreement. The combination of these cuts, coupled with the $12 billion in cuts to the program over the past eight years, would have devastated the crop program and its agent distribution force.

“Breaking down last year’s budget deal was a big issue and it was bipartisan,” said Rep. Conaway when accepting the award. “There were bipartisan efforts on all sides.”

Rep. Conaway discussed how he negotiated the budget cut reversals that ultimately preserved the efficacy of the FCIP, noting that the FCIP discussion “gave us the opportunity to tell the world why crop insurance is so important and to walk them through the history of the cuts.”

The Big “I” fought alongside Rep. Conaway and launched a nationwide grassroots campaign against reopening the Farm Bill to cut crop insurance. Rep. Conaway noted that launching grassroots and explaining the program to members of Congress helps lay the groundwork for future Farm Bills and legislation.

“We are grateful to U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway for his efforts to staunchly protect the crop insurance program and his unwavering commitment to protecting American agriculture,” said Bob Rusbuldt, Big “I” president & CEO, who presented the award during the annual Leadership Luncheon just prior to the annual Big “I” Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.

Serving his sixth term in the House, Rep. Conaway represents the 29 counties that comprise the Lone Star State’s 11^th congressional district, which includes the cities of Midland, Odessa and San Angelo. In addition to leading the Agriculture Committee, he serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He also holds a leadership position as Deputy Republican Whip.

The Big “I” bestows the Legislator of the Year Award annually upon a member of Congress who has provided outstanding leadership on insurance issues. The name honors the late Rep. Gerald Solomon (R-New York), former House Rules Committee chairman and Big “I” member, who championed independent agent and broker legislative concerns during his 20 years in Congress.

“Chairman Conaway fought off numerous budget attacks on the program that provides a safety net for America’s farmers and ranchers and did so in a swift, bipartisan fashion,” Rusbuldt said. “Restoring funding after budget cuts, particularly so quickly, is an incredibly difficult task. However, the chairman was persistent, strategic and ultimately successful in protecting the FCIP.”

Margarita Tapia is Big “I” director of public affairs.