House Republicans will force a vote this week on EPA’s new tailpipe emission standards that critics say amount to a mandate for electric vehicles. Meanwhile, some staff-level talks continue on a possible new farm bill amid a continued sharp divide over how to fund it.
The House is scheduled to consider a Congressional Review Act resolution this week that would kill the EPA’s new emission standards for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles. The ethanol industry opposes the standards because of the impact they could have on gasoline and usage, and former Donald Trump has promised to revoke the standards and the rest of President Joe Biden’s clean-energy agenda.
The House vote would be largely symbolic, since the CRA resolution would be vetoed by Biden even if it were to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate. Nevertheless, the vote could put some farm-district House Democrats in an uncomfortable position.
EPA estimates that under the new standards battery electric vehicles may account for 30% to 56% of new light duty sales for model years 2030-2032 and 20% to 32% of new medium-duty vehicle sales.
Meanwhile, lawmakers have only two more weeks heading to continue campaigning for the Nov. 5 election, and they still have to agree on a stopgap funding bill to prevent a government shutdown Oct. 1.
Time also is running out for leaders of the House and Senate Ag committees to reach an elusive deal on a new farm bill.
Farm groups brought growers to Capitol Hill last week to make a final push to persuade lawmakers to pass a new bill before the end of the year or else to pass some kind of emergency funding package to compensate row crop growers for the downturn in commodity markets.
The top Democrat on the House Ag Committee, David Scott of Georgia, said in a memo to colleagues that he hopes he could reach agreement yet this month on broad funding parameters for a new farm bill. But there’s little sign that such a deal is close, even though top aides to the House and Senate Ag committees continue meeting privately to discuss the legislation.
According to sources, Republicans are insisting that any bill provide a significant new funding to cover the cost of raising farm income supports, including by raising Price Loss Coverage reference prices. However, the funding would likely have to come from overriding Congressional Budget Office funding estimates for the bill.
House GOP leaders and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., wanted to include a farm bill extension in whatever continuing resolution Congress passes this month to keep the government funded. But Senate Ag Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., told Agri-Pulse there is no need to move another extension of the 2018 farm bill until after the election,
She didn’t rule out considering a supplemental funding package. “I think that’s yet to be decided, I mean, we’ll have to see,” she said.
She went on, “If we don't pass a farm bill there will have to be some kind of extension. I think right now, we've seen two kinds of things: We've seen prices going down for farmers and input costs staying high. We also had a new national food insecurity report that came out that said we have more Americans now that are food insecure. So this says to me that we need to act and we need to act both to support farmers … and families.”
The top Republican on the Senate Ag Committee, John Boozman of Arkansas, said he wanted to work with Scott to “find whatever solution is out there, realizing that our farmers, because the input costs are so high, because commodity prices are just, the bottoms falling out, that they're in serious trouble.
“So not really sure what we’ll land on, but I'm really encouraged by the fact that Congressman Scott is providing a lot of leadership.”
A Republican on the House Ag Committee who faces a tough re-election race, Zach Nunn of Iowa, said there is still time for committee leaders to reach a deal on a new farm bill.
“The House at least, is having a conversation … The big pushback here is that the Senate has got to do something and come to the table in a meaningful way. It sounds like Stabenow and Boozman are starting to have that conversation. I would take that as an encouraging sign.”
Nunn is referring to the fact that the Senate Ag Committee has not considered a farm bill in this Congress. The House Ag Committee advanced a farm bill in May but it is not fully funded and hasn't been considered on the House floor.
Here is a list of agriculture- or rural-related events scheduled for this week in Washington and elsewhere (all times EDT):
Monday, Sept. 16
All day – Ag Outlook Forum presented by Agri-Pulse and the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City.
4 p.m. – USDA releases weekly Crop Progress report.
Tuesday, Sept. 17
1 p.m. – American Frozen Food Institute forum, “A Comprehensive Look at Chemical Food Safety: Bridging State, Federal and Legal Perspectives.”
4 p.m. – House Rules Committee meeting to consider Congressional Review Act resolution to withdraw EPA emission standards for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles, H-313 Capitol.
9:30 p.m. – Turning Point Action forum, “Make America Healthy Again,” Scottsdale, Arizona.
Wednesday, Sept. 18
2 p.m. – Center for American Progress forum, “Protecting Americans from Extreme Heat."
2 p.m. – Senate Agriculture subcommittee hearing on school breakfast and lunch programs, 328-A Russell.
Thursday, Sept. 19
8:30 a.m. – USDA releases Weekly Export Sales report.
Friday, Sept. 20
For more news, go to Agri-Pulse.com.
