Following Debt Ceiling Resolution, Internecine Feud Derails House Floor Action, Chairman Thompson Underscores Importance of Keeping Farm Bill Bipartisan
Last weekend, President Biden officially signed into law the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act to raise the debt ceiling while trimming between $1.5 trillion and $2.1 trillion in government spending. Leaders of both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees applauded the measure and noted that the provisions in the Fiscal Responsibility Act may well have eased the path forward for the farm bill. However, this week, the House of Representatives hit a speed bump as a handful of Members – roughly the same who delayed Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) ascension to the Speakership – derailed House floor business because they were upset with the debt ceiling legislation because it was not identical to the House-passed measure.
Nevertheless, House Agriculture Committee Chairman, Congressman G.T. Thompson (R-PA), told reporters that he was “not worried” about what the disagreement means for the farm bill. Chairman Thompson stated, “The farm bill’s going to be a strong bipartisan, bicameral bill. There will always be folks who will wind up voting against it. But the fact is, I think it’s going to pass with a healthy margin. We just have a lot of work to do between now and whatever point it is voted on the House floor. So, to me, this is not disruptive to the farm bill in any way… What I hear from the Speaker is I’ve got the Speaker’s trust for all 12 titles of the farm bill.” Read more here.
EPA Withdraws Plan to Include Electric Vehicles in Renewable Fuel Standard
According to reports, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will officially “abandon” its plan to include Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the proposed biofuel blending targets under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In early May, it was reported that the Administration was considering removing EVs from the proposal due to concerns about the legality of the plan. Earlier this year, ethanol proponents strongly urged EPA to reconsider the inclusion. The White House is currently the reviewing the EPA’s proposed biofuel blending targets for 2023, 2024, and 2025. A final rule is on track to be announced on June 14. Neither the EPA nor the White House provided comments on the report. Read more here and here.
Senate Budget Committee Hosts Hearing on “Changing Agricultural Landscape”, Hears from Key Witness on Importance of Crop Insurance
The Senate Budget Committee convened on Wednesday morning for a hearing entitled, “Cultivating Stewardship: Examining the Changing Agricultural Landscape”. As reported last week, Brandon Willis, served as a key witness on the panel. Willis, who works with National Sorghum Producers’ D.C. representative Combest, Sell & Associates as a senior policy consultant and previously as the Administrator of the Risk Management Agency (RMA) and as a Senior Advisor to Secretary Tom Vilsack in the Obama Administration, demonstrated the vital importance of a robust farm safety net, particularly through the Federal Crop Insurance Program. More from the hearing, including Willis’s full opening statement and testimony, may be viewed here.
House Agriculture Committee Hosts Hearing on Digital Assets Spot Markers, Announce Market Structure Proposal
The House Agriculture Committee on Tuesday convened for a hearing entitled, “The Future of Digital Assets: Providing Clarity for Digital Asset Spot Markets”. A recording of the hearing and all materials may be viewed here. In advance of the hearing, House Agriculture Committee Chairman, Congressman G.T. Thompson (R-PA), and House Financial Service Committee Chairman, Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC), announced a digital asset market structure proposal, “providing a statutory framework for a digital assets intended to provide clarity, fill regulatory gaps, and foster innovation.” Read more here.
USDA Announces Additional Key Staff Appointments
USDA on Wednesday announced six new appointments for senior staff positions at the Department. One of those appointments was Carlton Bridgeforth, a former Democratic staffer for the House Agriculture Committee who also is a former member of the United Sorghum Checkoff Program board of directors and a graduate of Leadership Sorghum. During that time worked full-time at Bridgeforth Farms were he is a partner; in this role, he managed commodity contract pricing, crop input costs and inventory, supply chain logistics and business development. Bridgeforth has been appointed Senior Advisor for Research, Education, and Economics. Read more here.
