A possible relief package for farmers is in play as lawmakers return to Washington the first time since Donald Trump's sweeping victory, and Senate Republicans are set to elect a leader who will be critical to carrying out the president-elect's legislative agenda.
Chances for enacting a new farm bill before the end of the year are low, given that congressional aides say no substantive negotiations took place during October. In addition, Republicans are likely to win control of the House as well as the Senate and White House when all the votes from the Nov. 5 election are counted.
As of Sunday, The Associated Press had declared Republicans winners of 213 seats, five short of the 218 needed to control the House. Democrats had won 202 seats.
There are ongoing discussions in the House and Senate Ag committees about using the lame duck session to pass a package of emergency assistance to farmers who have been hurt by the downturn in commodity prices. The House leadership has yet to sign off on the idea, according to congressional staff familiar with the issue.
“I feel like we need, very definitely need, ad hoc assistance … to make up for the fact that there's no safety net in place that works for our producers right now,” said Arkansas Sen. John Boozman, the top Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
House Agriculture Committee Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., will be meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., this week.
In October, Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss., proposed an aid package called the Farmer Assistance and Revenue Mitigation Act that would provide payments to farmers if the expected revenue for the 2024 crop year is below the projected cost of production.
According to a Texas A&M University analysis, payments under the Kelly proposal could range from $49.57 an acre for soybeans to $200.01 for cotton.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who will take over as ranking Democrat on Senate Ag in January when Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., retires, said last week that she hasn’t given up hope for moving a farm bill in the lame duck session.
“If we end up doing the farm bill next year, fine, I'm more than excited to work on it,” she said at the Minnesota AgriGrowth Ag and Food Summit in Minneapolis last week. But she said “it just might be harder to get some of the resources that we want” for the bill. Brownfield Ag News posted a recording of the speech.
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Chuck Conner, president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, told Agri-Pulse that he hasn’t given up hope for a lame duck farm bill either, despite the lack of progress in October. Passing a farm bill in the lame duck would clear a major item off the to-do list of the next Congress, he said.
“I think there will be a thought process that our differences in the farm bill are relatively small, and we could get this done … in some kind of end of the year process,” Conner said.
Republicans have already signaled that their highest priority in the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency is to pass a major tax bill as part of a budget reconciliation bill that wouldn’t need Democratic votes. Under budget reconciliation rules, portions of the farm bill that raise or lower spending could be attached to that package.
The most important event this week for Trump’s presidency other than the final vote counting in House races is the selection of a new Senate Republican leader to succeed Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Senate GOP Whip John Thune, a long-time member of the Senate Agriculture Committee from South Dakota, is running for the post against John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla. Scott is trying to make the case that he would be Trump's strongest ally as leader.
Trump has not yet waded into the race, and Thune last week said he hoped he didn’t.
“I think my preference would be, and I think it's probably in his best interest, to stay out of that. These Senate secret ballot elections are probably best left to senators, and he's got to work with all of us when it's all said and done,” Thune said in an interview on CNBC.
Still, on Sunday Trump demanded that the next Senate leader commit to allowing recess appointments of his nominees, bypassing the normal Senate confirmation process.
Scott immediately made the pledge, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is seeking to play a role in the Trump administration related to health and food policy, posted on X in support of Scott: "Without Rick Scott, the entire Trump reform agenda wobbly."
Thune posted a statement on X leaving the door open to recess appointments: "We must act quickly and decisively to get the president’s nominees in place as soon as possible, & all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments. We cannot let Schumer and Senate Dems block the will of the American people."
Thune and Trump have clashed in the past, and Thune initially endorsed Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., for the presidency but subsequently has worked to mend fences with the now president-elect.
Here is a list of agriculture- or rural-related events scheduled for this week in Washington and elsewhere (all times EDT):
Monday, Nov. 11
Federal holiday to commemorate Veterans Day.
Tuesday, Nov. 12
Agricultural Bankers Conference, though Thursday, Milwaukee.
4 p.m. – USDA releases weekly Crop Progress report.
Wednesday, Nov. 13
National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual convention, though Saturday, Kansas City.
Thursday, Nov. 14
3 p.m. – USDA issues Cost of Production forecast.
Friday, Nov. 15
8:30 a.m. – USDA releases Weekly Export Sales report.
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