Rick Crawford has served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence since 2017 and was appointed Chairman in January 2025. During his tenure on the Committee, he has been honored to serve as the CIA Subcommittee Chairman and a member of numerous other subcommittees. Rick is a tireless advocate for the men and women of our Intelligence Community and believes that a strong America is essential to securing liberty around the world and enhancing our prosperity here at home.
Raised in an Air Force family, Chairman Crawford has lived all over the United States and in England. His parents instilled in him a devotion to service from a young age. That simple life lesson has remained with Rick, and it is at the forefront of his mind when working on creating a more successful America for future generations.
Rick enlisted in the United States Army straight out of high school. He served as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician, completing four years of service and advancing to the rank of Sergeant. He earned numerous medals for service at home and in Southwest Asia.
After completion of his military service, Rick matriculated at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, and he graduated in 1996 with a degree in Agriculture Business and Economics.
Throughout college, Rick competed in rodeos across the country and, while recovering from a career-ending injury, discovered a talent for announcing and producing rodeos. He became a freelance rodeo announcer and producer after completing his bachelor’s degree, which led to a career in agri-news reporting and broadcasting. He founded and operated the AgWatch Network – a web-based farm news content provider serving more than 50 radio station affiliates in five states. Rick also served as marketing manager for one of the largest John Deere dealer groups in North America.
Driven by a desire to serve and help secure a brighter future for Arkansas’s First District, Rick decided to run for Congress in 2010. In his seven terms in Congress, Rick has voiced the concerns of his district while bringing solutions to the national table. He is a senior member on the House Agriculture Committee, having played a critical role in passing two Farm Bills, having served on the Conference Committees in 2014 and 2018, and as Chairman of Agriculture Subcommittees in three of his first five terms in Congress. He views agriculture as a national security issue: a nation that cannot feed itself is a nation that is not secure.
Rick also serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee where he has worked to create safer and more reliable highways, waterways, railways, and runways. He proudly won an Interstate designation of I-555, a vital corridor for Northeast Arkansas. He has served as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit and as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. He currently serves as the Vice-Chairman of the full committee.
Rick and his wife Stacy, also an A-State graduate, live in Jonesboro with their two children. In his spare time, he enjoys being with his family, cooking, watching old western films, and playing guitar and singing with his band, Triple Nickel.
