Kevin Roberts: “I would like to take a few moments this morning to wander from regular order to recognize a long- time staffer and…”

“I would like to take a few moments this morning to wander from regular order to recognize a long- time staffer and public servant who will be retiring next Friday. August 5 will be Dave Johnson's last day as a Republican staffer on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. It will also be the end of a 23-year career in public service--most of that right here on this committee. Dave has served me as ranking member since March. He previously served as both the chief Republican counsel and deputy staff director of this committee. His service includes working for Chairman Lugar from 1987 to 1991 and again from 1994 to 2003. He then served Chairman Cochran from 2003 to 2005 and Chairman Chambliss from 2005 to 2007. And from 2007 to 2008 he served then-Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns as a deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He then moved to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission where he served until we convinced him to come back and help us get up and running this past spring. Dave's record speaks for itself. But I am not sure some understand just how valuable his service has been to this Committee and agriculture and nutrition policy. As those who know Dave can tell you, his first love has been nutrition policy. He has worked on numerous child nutrition bills and the nutrition title of no less than four farm bills, by my count.…”