The top Republican on the Senate Ag Committee, John Boozman, says he doesn’t know whether the extra money Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow has identified for the next farm bill will be enough to bolster commodity programs and crop insurance.
Stabenow has told Agri-Pulse she expects to have $4 billion to $5 billion in additional funding for the bill. She didn’t identify the source of the money, and Boozman said he doesn’t know where the funding comes from.
Boozman and his House Ag counterparts continue to wait on cost estimates from the Congressional Budget Office on possible program modifications. And Boozman still has fundamental differences with Stabenow over what to do about the main commodity programs.
“We're trying to figure out what needs to be done and getting it scored,” Boozman said. “So, we're not ready to say what it's going to cost to get the risk management tools up to the latest level of inflation.”
Lucas: New speaker an affable conservative
The House’s new speaker, Mike Johnson, isn’t well known in farm country, or most of the rest of the nation for that matter. But Rep. Frank Lucas, a former chairman of the House Ag Committee, says Johnson is a likable, low-key conservative who should be able to unite House Republicans.
“I think he can pull us together. He's a real conservative, so we're back on track. We're headed forward again, I think,” Lucas, R-Okla., said in an interview with Agri-Pulse Newsmakers.
Lucas describes Johnson as “very positive, very pleasant,” temperamentally different than some of the GOP firebrands. “He doesn't have the scars and scratches and calluses other members have, but that's OK,” Lucas said.
By the way: Some 61 House Republicans have sent a letter to Johnson urging “swift passage” of a new farm bill. “More than 92 percent of our nation’s planted acres are represented by Republican Members,” the letter says.
Newsmakers will be available today at Agri-Pulse.com.
Rice farmers see friendly face in Johnson
Louisiana is a major rice-producing state, and some of that production comes from Johnson’s district, according to the USA Rice Federation. The group says he’s the first speaker from a significant rice-producing district in more than three decades.
“The Speaker has been a tremendous supporter of the U.S. rice industry, and we look forward to working with him and his colleagues in Congress toward the successful passage of an effective Farm Bill and other positive outcomes for our industry,” Jamison Cruce, USA Rice’s senior director of government affairs, said in a statement.
Culture wars enter school lunch debate
Senate Republicans tried but failed to kill a USDA policy tying school lunch funding to the treatment of students based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Food and Nutrition Service issued the policy in 2022 in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Bostock decision protecting employees who are gay or transgender.
The policy forces schools to allow “biological boys to be given access to girls bathrooms and locker rooms or allowing biological boys to compete in girls’ sports,” or risk losing access to free or reduced school lunches, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., argued. Marshall proposed a resolution aimed at overturning the USDA policy, but it failed on a 47-50 vote Thursday.
Stabenow called the resolution a “political stunt.” “It’s very clear that children are being used to address what some colleagues have said is just red meat to Republicans to feed the cultural wars,” Stabenow said.
White House wants $6B boost for broadband subsidies
The White House is asking Congress to extend the Affordable Connectivity Program with a $6 billion allocation before it runs out of money next year. The program helps millions of Americans pay their broadband bills.
The Biden administration included the request for additional funding within the program in a broader $56 billion call for supplemental spending.
Take note: Lawmakers are looking at longer-term solutions for funding the ACP program, like through the Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service Fund.
Chinese purchases drive US soy sales to market-year high
Net export sales of U.S. soybeans for the week of Oct. 13-19 reached about 1.4 million metric tons – a high so far for the 2023-24 marketing year. The increase is mostly due to large purchases from Chinese buyers, according to the latest data from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.
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China contracted to buy about 1.2 million tons of U.S. soybeans for that week, far more than 215,900 tons purchased by Mexican buyers. Other major importing countries included Bangladesh (172,800 tons) and Taiwan (85,200 tons).
U.S. soybean exports for the week were also a marketing-year high, totaling about 2.4 million tons. And again it was China that drove most of the trade.
Australia’s almond production recovers after Varroa mite battle
Australian almond production is now forecast to reach 140,000 metric tons this year, a 28% increase from last year when government authorities took drastic action to try to kill off an infestation of Varroa mites, according to FAS. Exports for the 2023-24 marketing year are forecast to jump 5% to 100,000 tons.
Varroa mites – a destructive threat to honeybees – were detected for the first time ever in Australia last year. Authorities took action, declaring a “biosecurity emergency” and erecting quarantines that resulted in a shortage of beehives and lower almond production, according to the latest edition of FAS’ Tree Nuts: World Markets and Trade report. Eventually, the government gave up the effort to eradicate the mite in favor of measures that slow its spread.
He said it. “Just think of him as a fellow who may not be a famous speaker, but he'll be a real speaker.” – Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., speaking on Agri-Pulse Newsmakers about House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
Jacqui Fatka and Bill Tomson contributed to this report.
