WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD NEWS) — U.S. Representative Nick Begich (R-AK) was unanimously elected in January to serve as Executive Vice Chair of the Congressional Western Caucus. He joins us on today’s Champions of Rural America to discuss what makes the Western Caucus unique and his priorities in his new role.
In his conversation with RFD NEWS, Begich discussed the important functions of the Congressional Western Caucus, pointing to the shared interests and challenges across Western states. He said he looks forward to hearing from constituents and stakeholders about how best to advocate for the region’s needs.
Begich says he is eager to help advance the priorities of Western states during the 119th Congress in his new leadership role, emphasizing the emerging opportunities in the broader economy, particularly in energy. He also noted the significant role Western states play in providing key energy resources, including hydro and geothermal power, which he says are critical to supporting the nation’s future growth and development.
“As a new Executive Vice Chair, I’m so excited to work on a lot of the opportunities that we’ve been seeing emerge in the broader economy,” he said. “You know, you talk about energy and the energy promise of the Western states — that means hydro, that means geothermal. It means all these things. And the Western states play an incredible role in providing those base resources and energy that are necessary for the American resurgence that we have been talking so much about and working so hard to produce.”
An Anchorage native, Begich also highlighted the opportunity Western Caucus membership provides Congress to see parts of the U.S. they may not have seen before.
“I’ll tell you, one of the great things about being a member of the Western Caucus is being able to travel and see so much of the rest of the United States,” he said. “They can see for themselves just how big and just how vast our future can be when we unlock the full potential of the West.”
Begich also talked about seeing bills reflecting Western Caucus priorities, such as those related to land and natural resources, pass in Congress.
“Part of the reason I was so excited for the opportunity to be executive vice chair of the Western Caucus is that the Western Caucus has actually been an advocate for my home state of Alaska,” he said. “We’ve gotten so much done in this 119th Congress, just in 2025 alone — we’re working together as a team — but I’ll tell you what, this is a great period of time for Alaska. We’ve never had a more impactful and important president for my home state than President Trump, and we are certainly excited about seeing the rest of that agenda unfurled as we move into this 250th year of our nation’s history in 2026.”
Shaun Haney joined RFD News to discuss the potential impact of the Trump-Xi summit uncertainty, ongoing agricultural trade talks, and why geopolitical developments could carry important implications for farmers and global commodity markets.
