Category: Policy Updates/Issue News
Policy Updates and Issue News June 2025
Agriculture and Food Farm bill provisions hit a snag Commodity price support and nutrition assistance sections of the farm bill have been included in the budget reconciliation package moving through Congress. Actions by both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees would make massive cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and use part of … Continue reading “Policy Updates and Issue News June 2025”
Policy Updates and Issue News May 2025
Agriculture and Food Farm bill charts new territory The House Agriculture Committee finished a marathon committee markup session to include parts of the farm bill funding in the fiscal 2025 budget reconciliation process. That’s a break from tradition whereby the farm bill is normally adopted as a stand-alone bill. The strategy here is to rearrange … Continue reading “Policy Updates and Issue News May 2025”
Policy Updates and Issue News April 2025
Agriculture and Food Support to restrict junk food SNAP purchases A federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program shopper can pretty much shop anywhere in the grocery store. That wide latitude could change. Attempts to eliminate junk food from SNAP coverage could gain traction under HHS Secretary Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again agenda. The USDA oversees SNAP … Continue reading “Policy Updates and Issue News April 2025”
Policy Updates and Issue News March 2025
Agriculture and Food Corporate Transparency Act paused by Treasury Department The National Grange joined 65 small business groups to thank Treasury Secretary Bessert for suspending enforcement of business ownership disclosure requirements for domestic businesses. The new rule, implemented last year, was intended to catch foreign money-laundering schemes masquerading as U.S. businesses. But the way the … Continue reading “Policy Updates and Issue News March 2025”
Policy Updates and Issue News February 2025
Washington Overview To say the least, it’s not your same ole Washington these days, no matter what side of the political spectrum you’re on. Uncertainty and confusion might best describe the environment permeating through all sectors. Law firms have a tsunami of new business as court challenges are filed against President Trump’s executive orders. The … Continue reading “Policy Updates and Issue News February 2025”
Policy Updates and Issue News January 2025
Washington Overview Big Policy Issues for Grangers Loom in 2025 Immigration The unchecked flow of illegal immigrants into the United States has been a long-term priority for President Trump. It struck a note with the American public as well and certainly played a role in Trump’s reelection efforts. Deportation looms large and appears to have … Continue reading “Policy Updates and Issue News January 2025”
Policy Updates and Issue News December 2024
Agriculture and Food Ag groups stall year-end funding package Negotiations on an end of year Continuing Resolution spending package to avoid a government shutdown December 20 were set to be announced last weekend. The deal included a one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill. Ag groups and members of Congress were confident the massive funding … Continue reading “Policy Updates and Issue News December 2024”
Policy Updates and Issue News November 2024
WASHINGTON OVERVIEW The elections are behind us and big changes are in the wind politically and policy-wise for Washington. Republicans are now in control of the House. the Senate and the White House. President-elect Trump is rapidly rounding out his White House staff and announcing his choices for his cabinet positions. There are supposedly fifteen … Continue reading “Policy Updates and Issue News November 2024”
Policy Updates and Issue News October 2024
What Happens When a Farm Bill Expires? Congress left town at the end of September to campaign for reelection. They did not pass a new farm bill before leaving. In fact, neither the Senate nor House farm bill versions have been sent to the floor for a vote. In the meantime, the 2018 Farm Bill … Continue reading “Policy Updates and Issue News October 2024”
Policy Updates and Issue News September 2024
Agriculture and Food Last-ditch appeal for a farm bill now Farmers hammered hardest by commodity market declines hit Capitol Hill in early September for a final push to get a new farm bill this year. In an unusual lobbying strategy, teams of farmers representing the row crops that depend upon the major commodity title programs … Continue reading “Policy Updates and Issue News September 2024”
Policy Updates and Issue News August 2024
Agriculture and Food USDA issues $2 billion for discrimination USDA has issued one-time payments totaling around $2 billion to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners across the country who may have experienced discrimination in farm loan programs or did not receive equitable access to federal resources. The funds come from the Inflation Reduction Act’s Discrimination Financial … Continue reading “Policy Updates and Issue News August 2024”
Policy Updates and Issue News July 2024
Agriculture and Food Federal Milk Marketing Overhaul Proposed by USDA USDA is proposing to drop the way fluid milk is priced under the federal milk marketing orders established by the 2018 farm bill. The proposal would restore a rule that makes the Class1 milk (fluid milk) price the higher of the price of Class 3 … Continue reading “Policy Updates and Issue News July 2024”
Policy Updates and Issue News June 2024
Agriculture and Food Farm Bill Update The ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee, John Boozman of Arkansas, has released his proposed farm bill framework that largely mirrors the legislation passed by the House Agriculture Committee last month. “The Senate Republican framework won’t come as any surprise and mirrors what our stakeholders have been calling … Continue reading “Policy Updates and Issue News June 2024”
Policy Updates and Issue News May 2024
Agriculture and Food House Passes New Farm Bill The House Agriculture Committee passed the new farm bill May 23 by a vote of 33-21 with four Democratic committee members voting in favor of the Republican measure. This is the first step in what is expected to be a lengthy process. The package, The Farm, Food, … Continue reading “Policy Updates and Issue News May 2024”
Policy Updates and Issue News April 2024
Agriculture and Food Farm bill could see action soon House Ag Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson has announced he plans to unveil a draft of the farm bill and begin markup in the committee before Memorial Day. He says he’s found a way to robustly fund the safety net programs including commodity programs and crop insurance. … Continue reading “Policy Updates and Issue News April 2024”
