Senate Ag Committee

The ball is now in the Senate’s court on the Trump tax and spending bill.  And the fight over taxes, SNAP cuts, and tariffs is heating up quickly.  Majority Leader John Thune recently said it's ‘full speed ahead’ on the president’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” while slamming Democrats for vowing to fight against extending the 2017 tax cuts with 'everything they’ve got'.   “They are going to be votin

The historically bipartisan Farm Bill turned political this week as majority Ag Republicans turned back every Democratic amendment and sent their Farm Bill budget to the House on a party-line vote.  It wasn’t just SNAP spending reforms Democrats went after, but Trump actions like tariffs, staff cuts, and USDA grant freezes.   “From ...

House leaders are delaying a planned Agriculture Committee markup that was tentatively set for this week as big issues remain for the GOP’s massive domestic policy bill, according to two Republicans granted anonymity to relay the decision ahead of an official announcement.   P...

President Trump’s tariffs on America’s biggest trading partners continue to raise alarms in farm country.  Agriculture is already in a recession, stoked by low commodity prices, chronically high input costs, no Farm Bill, and now tariff retaliation by America’s top three trading partners.  Sedrick Rowe Jr., an orga...

Proposed legislation in the Washington state Senate would provide a sales and use tax exemption for qualifying farm machinery and equipment purchases.  Under Senate Bill 5092, the equipment must have a minimum price tag of $10,000, while the farmer must have a gross income of less than $2 million.  Jesse Johnso...

Earlier this week, the Senate Agriculture Committee unanimously voted to advance Brooke Rollins to be the Secretary of Agriculture.  Rollins will now be considered by the full U.S. Senate.   Ranking Democrat Amy Klobuchar said she would support the nomination, but Democrats are worried about workforce, tariff, and conservation issues.  Senate Major...

“I fully recognize that if I am confirmed, I am stepping into the role during one of the most economically challenging times in American agriculture history,” said Agriculture secretary nominee Brooke Rollins, testifying at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Ag Committee Thursday.  The Texas native of...

Long-time USDA Chief Information Officer Gary Washington has been named the Acting Ag Secretary.  While the newly inaugurated Trump administration is waiting for Senate confirmation of its initial nominations for Cabinet and Cabinet-level officials, one of the first actions by the White House Monday was appointing temporary leaders in several departments.   ...

As the 119th Congress gets underway, New Senate Majority Leader John Thune laid out his priorities, including a new Farm Bill.  Thune said he understands rural America, growing up in a small South Dakota town.   “The town of Murdo, population today, roughly around 500 people. We didn’t even have...

As Congress returns to D.C. the American people will notice some new faces are taking over leadership on the House and Senate Ag Committees.  Sam Kieffer, Vice President of Public Policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the four leaders of the committees have a wealth of experience.   “...