{"id":48056,"date":"2018-01-05T14:30:13","date_gmt":"2018-01-05T14:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vps70863.inmotionhosting.com\/~nationalgrange\/\/?p=48056"},"modified":"2024-10-31T07:00:07","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T11:00:07","slug":"policy-updates-issue-news-december-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vps70863.inmotionhosting.com\/~nationalgrange\/policy-updates-issue-news-december-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Policy Updates and Issue News December 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looking Back and Looking Ahead
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The nation\u2019s capital has been an interesting place throughout 2017 to say the least.\u00a0 Donald Trump shocked a large portion of the American public to become our 45th<\/sup> President.\u00a0 After his inauguration, it took the FBI an inordinate amount of time to run background checks on his cabinet and subcabinet appointees because of heightened security concerns.\u00a0 Some appointees still have not been confirmed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue emerged as a popular and respected spokesman for agriculture and rural residents.\u00a0 The farmer, businessman and former governor now serving as Secretary appears to have the President\u2019s ear on USDA matters and he\u2019s very popular in the countryside.\u00a0 The President and Secretary are keeping campaign promises to reduce burdensome regulations and rein-in government overreach for producers and landowners.<\/p>\n

President Trump has the most exercised thumbs in the history of the Presidency.\u00a0 His tweets have set a new precedent for social media, public policy, diplomacy and the presidency.\u00a0 He continues to keep Washington and the media off guard.<\/p>\n

The Republicans controlled both the Senate and the House of Representatives during 2017.\u00a0 Yet healthcare reform went down in flames.\u00a0 The legislative process moved at a snail\u2019s pace all year.\u00a0 Tax reform eventually passed both houses along party lines and was signed by the President.\u00a0 The final tax package will require considerable time and expertise to analyze.\u00a0 The jury is still out on the new law\u2019s benefits.\u00a0 Several pieces of \u201cmust-do\u201d legislation were kicked into January, including the FY\u201918 budget, debt ceiling and fate of the young immigrant \u201cDreamers\u201d who were brought to the United States as children without documentation.<\/p>\n

The National Grange had fun early in the year observing Washingtonians learn how to spell R-U-R-A-L again.\u00a0\u00a0 The rural vote that pushed President Trump to victory suddenly captured the attention of writers, broadcasters, political pundits, public policy wonks and so-called \u201ccoastal elites\u201d.\u00a0 Farmers, ranchers, small businesses, rural residents and small town Americans suddenly were rediscovered.<\/p>\n

\u00a0It\u2019s interesting to note that numerous individuals and organizations claim to speak about rural America, speak into rural America, speak from rural America and supposedly speak for rural America.\u00a0 Yet the Grange is the primary organization speaking as rural America\u2019s farmer, rancher, rural resident and small town citizen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Moving into 2018, Washington\u2019s political climate could deteriorate further as politicians focus on mid-term elections.\u00a0 Democrats believe they can recapture the House and are keeping their eyes on the Senate.\u00a0 Bipartisan compromise on the budget, federal deficit, welfare reform, infrastructure, immigration, healthcare and a farm bill could be illusive.<\/p>\n

\u00a0The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps) will remain part of the farm bill under Agriculture Committee jurisdiction. \u00a0\u00a0SNAP reforms will be keenly bipartisan and are expected to be relatively modest such as preventing duplicative SNAP benefits and taking a look at able-bodied adults without dependents on SNAP benefit rolls. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Senate Republicans now have only a one vote 51-49 majority after Democrat Doug Jones prevailed in the recent Alabama election.\u00a0 Not all senators of either party agree on every issue.\u00a0 Therefore, major pieces of legislation moving through the Senate in 2018 may require bipartisan negotiation to pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Government Funding, Budget, Shutdown Deadline and Disaster Aid
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Congress ran home for Christmas without resolving spending battles and deadlines.\u00a0 That means lawmakers have to work diligently to avoid a government shutdown by January 19 when the short term continuing resolution expires.\u00a0 Democrats may not agree to a funding deal to keep the government running without a deal to protect young immigrants, the \u201cDreamers\u201d, from being exported beginning in March.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers of both parties are also under pressure to increase the budget caps and prevent automatic across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration.\u00a0 A deal will be difficult to negotiate with both sides battling over defense vs. nondefense spending increases.\u00a0 If a deal can be reached, congressional appropriators can work on a package to fund the government through next September.<\/p>\n

The Senate failed to take up a House-passed disaster relief bill for hurricane, flood and wildfire victims before Christmas.\u00a0 Battles between states for funding levels will have to be resolved by home-state Senators before aid can be approved.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Health Care
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A surprisingly high number of people signed up under ObamaCare during the recent enrollment period.\u00a0 Health care professionals suggest that a core group of people wants health insurance even though it is a smaller and less functional program than originally hoped for.\u00a0 The zeal for repealing the law appears to be fading somewhat in Congress.\u00a0 Congress might actually take bipartisan steps to mend the law in 2018 starting with efforts to stabilize insurance markets.<\/p>\n

Legislation authored by Senator John Thune (R-SD) and signed into law by president Trump will add skilled nursing facilities to the Rural Health Care Program.\u00a0 Skilled nursing facilities provide the same services that are traditionally housed at hospitals but are often remote from doctors and sophisticated laboratory and testing facilities.\u00a0 This new program addition will provide vital health care services in remote areas with little or no access to many types of doctors and specialists through high-capacity broadband connectivity.<\/p>\n

Our nation\u2019s opioid epidemic shows no signs of abatement in the drug crisis facing Americans according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\u00a0 The age-adjusted rate of overdose deaths in 2016 was 21 percent higher than 2015.\u00a0 The age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone (drugs such as fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and tramadol) doubled from 2015 to 2016.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As we reported last month, a Morning Consult study sponsored by the American Farm Bureau and the National Farmers Union found that,<\/p>\n