STEVENS POINT, Wis. — Newly sworn-in Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, WI-03, has settled into his new office, while committee assignments were handed out by leadership this week.

Rep.Van Orden said he is ready to represent 'America's Dairyland' by becoming the first member of Wisconsin's delegation in almost a decade to be named to the House Committee on Agricultural. It has been even longer since someone from WI-03 has been appointed to serve on the body.

What You Need To Know

  • Rep. Derrick Van Orden, WI-03, has been appointed to serve on the House Committee on Agricuture, becoming the first member from the Wisconsin delegation to serve in almost a decade

  • Former Rep. Reid Ribble served on the committee from 2011-2014

  • Van Orden will also serve on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

With action on a new farm bill looming, Rep. Van Orden said he is ready to use his voice to represent Wisconsinites.

“I plan on being the cheese king of Congress,” Rep. Van Orden said. “We do not have a dairy expert in the United States Congress right now, and I think it is paramount for our district, in particular, and the state of Wisconsin, generally, that we have someone who is the dairy expert in Congress, and that is what I am going to focus on.”

Rep. Van Orden will also serve on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, which are assignments he believes tie together.

“We put over 180,000 miles on our vehicles going through this campaign, talking to farmers all the time. I don't even know how many farms I've been to,” Rep. Van Orden said. “The biggest things are input costs and the second one is labor.”

While Van Orden admits the issues don't always grab headlines, they are the most important to him, especially with so much of Wisconsin's economy dependent on agriculture.

Local farmers from the Stevens Point area share their experiences with Rep. Derrick Van Orden. (Spectrum News 1/Anthony DaBruzzi)

“Our population of farmers is aging, and we need to let younger people understand that farming is a noble profession, and it is a required profession,” Rep. Van Orden explained. “I know it is hard for people to believe, but you can actually go without Wi-Fi for half an hour, but you can't go without eating for a day.”

Since being sworn in to office, Van Orden has also introduced two congressional amendments; one for a balanced budget and another to set term limits.

Van Orden has also introduced a bill to ban former members of Congress from becoming lobbyists.