Biden Administration

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Jewel Bronaugh announced Thursday her intention to step away from her role at USDA.   “It is with mixed emotions that today I am announcing that I will step away from my role as Deputy Secretary in the coming weeks so I can spend more time with my family,” Bronaugh said.   She not...

The push to get a farm bill across the finish line this year could run headlong into the partisan fight over budget cuts versus raising the government’s borrowing limit.  On Thursday, new House Ag Chair, Republican Glenn Thompson stressed that lawmakers have a deadline in front of them, since the current Farm Bill expires on September 30th of this year.  While that de...

A debt crisis faceoff and a Farm Bill deadline are two linked challenges facing U.S. agriculture this year with predictions by one Washington D.C. Ag lobbyist that Congress will meet both challenges.  Randy Russell with food and ag policy Russell Group predicts there will be no avoiding open debate this year on the debt crisis now that the Treasury has run out of borrowing authority.   “... Read M

The EPA and Army Corps of Engineers published the revised WOTUS rule in the Federal Register this week.  The publication means the revised rule will go into effect on March 20th.   EPA and the Army Corps announced the rule at the end of 2022, which will replace the Navigable Waters Protection Rule from the Trump Administration.  At the ...

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the EPA’s timing in issuing a final Waters of the U.S. rule last week, ahead of a Supreme Court decision, will only cause more disruption and uncertainty for producers.  “Considerable confusion on the ground for the regulated community,” the Farm Bureau noted.   “That was one of t...

The Biden EPA has issued a final rewrite of Trump-era WOTUS reforms, and farm groups like National Cattlemen are not happy.  NCBA Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart said the Biden Administration’s final Waters of the U.S. rule is tainted.   “The r...

Doug McKalip, was confirmed as President Biden’s Chief Ag Trade Negotiator with the U.S. Trade Representative’s office just before Christmas.  He now faces a huge challenge to expand overseas market access.  It’s not a new issue for McKalip, who has roughly 30 years’ experience at USDA, including as an advisor to Secretary Vilsack.   “Recently at USDA, I helped spearh...

The first two years of the Biden Administration are almost in the books, but several key trade positions remained unfilled, which has frustrated many in the farming community.  On the USTR side, Doug McKalip has been put forth as the chief agricultural negotiator, and at this point, his confirmation requires a vote in D.C.  And t...

Agriculture groups welcomed President Biden's call on Congress to avert a potential rail worker strike.   Corey Rosenbusch of The Fertilizer Institute praised the action by Biden, adding, “Congress must act now to ensure that fertilizers and other critical materials and goods that U.S. consume...

President Joe Biden recently signed a National Security Memorandum to Strengthen the Security and Resilience of U.S. Food and Agriculture.  Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, said the memorandum instructs government officials to identify threats to American food and agriculture and respond appropriately.   “What ...