Final farm bill hurdle: White House forestry demands Congressional leaders are taking a direct hand in the final farm bill fight—the Trump administration’s demands for a freer hand in fire prevention in national forests—with a decision possible as early as today that would allow a lame-duck vote on the $87-billion-a-year… Continue reading
An Aggie tries to move up in House Democratic leadership Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos says she knows, from first-hand experience prevailing in a Trump district, how the party can protect its newly won majority in the 2020 elections. Bustos, the only midwesterner in party leadership, is one of four candidates… Continue reading
Trump tariff payments flow to cities as well as rural mailboxes More than 1,100 of the early recipients of Trump tariff payments intended to offset the impact of the trade war on U.S. agriculture actually live in America’s largest cities, said the Environmental Working Group on Monday. The bailout recipients… Continue reading
House ag reaches deal, sends farm bill to Senate, reports say House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway has backed off dramatic changes to SNAP in the stalled $87 billion farm bill, sealing a deal with ranking Democrat Collin Peterson and sending a version of the bill to the Senate, according… Continue reading
McConnell: Farm bill absolutely must be completed in lame duck session Congress is nearly a quarter of the way through its post-election session with no apparent compromise on SNAP work rules or other disputes in the farm bill. Nonetheless, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Wednesday that the farm… Continue reading
Four times more tariff pain than financial gain in ‘new NAFTA’ Although President Trump declared the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement a big win for U.S. farmers, a study released on Wednesday says U.S. farm exports will fall by $1.8 billion due to retaliatory tariffs by Mexico and Canada. That would be… Continue reading
The only path to 2018 farm bill runs through Senate, say activists If Congress fails to pass a farm bill this year, it will be the fault of House Agriculture chairman Michael Conaway, who would harm SNAP and land stewardship programs, said six anti-hunger, environmental and small-farm groups on Monday…. Continue reading
U.S. ‘locking up’ trade access to Canada and Mexico, says Perdue Wheat and dairy groups were guarded in their assessments of the North American trade pact, while Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue asserted on Thursday the agreement “is locking up two of our top three markets for the future.” Farm bill… Continue reading
Three things that go together: Young adults, affluence and fast food Roughly 37 percent of U.S. adults eat fast food daily, says a CDC analysis of dietary data, but the rate is much higher for men and women aged 20-39 and for higher-income people. Farm bill proposal on yields ‘does… Continue reading
Farm bill deadlock raises chances of short-term extension Iowa’s Chuck Grassley was one of two senators on Tuesday to suggest an extension of the farm law that expired at the start of this week. President Trump has backed House Republicans in demanding stronger work requirements on a larger number of… Continue reading
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