Van Orden lands agriculture committee assignment

Jan. 19—EAU CLAIRE — At every campaign stop in the Chippewa Valley over the summer and fall, Derrick Van Orden vowed he would push to serve on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee if elected. Van Orden, R-Prairie Du Chien, was officially appointed to that committee this week, and is the only Wisconsin representative currently to serve there.

"I plan on being the cheese king of Congress," Van Orden told the Leader-Telegram on Thursday. "It's been 26 years since the district had a representative on the Agriculture Committee. My plan is to be the dairy expert for all of Congress."

Van Orden noted the committee will start working the farm spending bill shortly.

"We've got to be able to take care of our farmers," he said.

Van Orden also was appointed to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and he was enthusiastic about each of those assignments. He said the agriculture and transportation committees are closely linked because farmers need trucks, railroads and barges to move their commodities. He said the lock-and-dam system along the Mississippi River is antiquated and needs maintenance.

"We can't sell the products we make," he said. "This is all predicated on rail. Farming affects everybody, roads and railroads affect everybody."

Van Orden, a former Navy SEAL, also fought for the Veterans' Affairs Committee assignment. He noted that the VA had problems with opioid abuse from the Tomah facility in the past.

"I get my health care at Tomah," Van Orden said. "I want to make sure veterans get the health care they need."

Van Orden also has introduced his first legislation. One amendment proposal calls for setting a balanced budget. Another calls for limiting House members to six terms and Senators to two terms. It also would ban former members of Congress from later becoming lobbyists.

Van Orden, 53, won the open seat by defeated State Sen. Brad Pfaff, D-Onalaska, in the November election. It was seen as a huge pickup for the Republican Party, who now hold a narrow majority in the U.S. House. Van Orden replaced Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, who did not seek re-election. He supported California Congressman Kevin McCarthy throughout the prolonged battle for House Speaker, which took 15 rounds of voting before McCarthy ultimately won the position.

"It's important we should have these discussions publicly," Van Orden said. "What you saw from the Republican Party was an open, frank debate on who should lead us. You saw democracy in action. We're a very strong conference."

The Third Congressional Seat covers most of the southwest corner of the state, including Eau Claire, Menomonie, La Crosse and Stevens Point, and parts of Chippewa Falls, Lake Hallie and Lafayette.