The Senate is back in session this week with a key nomination for trade policy on senators’ to-do list, as well as the GOP budget resolution. Howard Lutnick’s nomination to be secretary of commerce is next in line for the Senate after the nomination of Kash Patel, the far more controversial pick to lead the FBI.

The budget resolution is the first step in the Senate GOP’s strategy to enact President Donald Trump’s spending and tax priorities. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., hasn’t announced yet whether the resolution will be debated this week.

For more on this week’s agenda, read Washington Week Ahead. 

EU condemns US reciprocal tariff plan, mulls food import curbs

The European Union says the Trump administration’s reciprocal tariff proposal is unjustified and has vowed to respond “firmly and immediately” to any new duties.

Trump last week directed his administration to study reciprocal tariffs that would raise duties on imports from countries with tariff rates higher than those in the U.S. In a statement published Friday, the European Commission, the EU’s governing body, said such a move would be “a step in the wrong direction.”

“The EU will react firmly and immediately against unjustified barriers to free and fair trade, including when tariffs are used to challenge legal and non-discriminatory policies,” the statement reads.

Take note: The Financial Times reported on Saturday that the EU is weighing banning imports of food and ag products that have been treated by pesticides banned domestically. A 2019 study from the Center for Biological Diversity finds that the U.S. allows some 72 pesticides that are banned or being phased out in the EU.

Some member states have previously called for import restrictions that more closely match domestic pesticide limits, but the commission has demurred over concerns that such a move would violate World Trade Organization rules.

Bicameral, bipartisan year-round E15 bill reintroduced

Lawmakers have reintroduced bipartisan bills in the House and Senate to authorize year-round E15 access. 

The Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act would extend the Reid vapor pressure volatility waiver to allow all-year, nationwide sale of ethanol blends up to 15%. 

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Lawmakers say this bill would fulfill Trump’s mandate for energy independence. They also cite Trump’s directive to the Environmental Protection Agency to explore the benefits of year-round E15. 

MAHA, DOGE come to USDA

The impacts of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency on USDA may be coming into focus at the agency.

Fresh after her swearing-in as USDA secretary, Brooke Rollins told reporters she “welcomed” DOGE into the department.

She said it would be beneficial to have DOGE analyzing SNAP and other USDA nutrition programs to ensure their success, particularly given the significant growth in SNAP participation. 

“Are we really giving people a hand up or is it instead a handout?” Rollins asked of SNAP.

She also said she wants HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s input on the program. Rollins said she looks forward to working with Kennedy to determine if SNAP is offering the “healthiest choices” and echoed comments from those in the Make America Healthy Again space questioning whether taxpayer money should be on sodas and unhealthy foods. 

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By the way: On her first full day at USDA on Friday, Rollins also sent a letter to states and local governments encouraging them to participate in pilot programs to reform SNAP. She laid out her vision for federal nutrition programs, including tighter work requirements and “improving federal dietary policy to align with science, not politics.” 

Craig may join race for Senate seat in Minnesota

The top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig, is “giving serious consideration” to running for the Senate next year, she said in a brief statement.

Craig’s announcement came three days after Democratic Sen. Tina Smith said she would not be running in 2026.

“I’ll be talking to Minnesotans in the weeks ahead about the best way to continue to serve my community and will make a decision in the near future,” Craig said.

Crowded field: Minnesota Gov. and former Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz also is thinking about making a run next year, Politico reported last week. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan announced she was getting into the race shortly after Smith bowed out.

Farmers turning away from cotton 

Southern farmers are expected to slash their cotton plantings by 14.5% to under 9.6 million acres this year as slumping prices continue to weigh on the sector, according to an annual survey by the National Cotton Council. That would be the smallest area planted to cotton since 2015. 

More than half of U.S. cotton will be grown in Texas this year despite a predicted 16% decline in acreage. Texas farmers are expected to plant just over 5 million acres, down from nearly 6 million in 2024. Plantings in No. 2 cotton state Georgia are expected to fall nearly 22% to just 864,000 acres. 

World production also is expected to decline, according to the NCC. The U.S. is expected to slightly increase its share of global exports for the 2025-26 marketing year but still trail Brazil for the third year in a row. 

Congress recognizes National FFA Week

Agriculture education students across the U.S. are participating in a weeklong celebration promoting the benefits of hands-on experiential learning and promoting the agricultural industry.

Students in each chapter will host unique events, including farmer and teacher appreciation breakfasts, community service projects and skills contests to advance agriculture literacy in their communities.

Reps. Tracey Mann, R-Kan., and Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., co-chairs of the Congressional FFA Caucus, and Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., and Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., co-chairs of the Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus, led a resolution designating Feb. 15-22 as National FFA Week.

Today, there are about a million FFA members in 9,235 chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Members range from 5th grade through college students.

Final word

“This System will immediately bring Fairness and Prosperity back into the previously complex and unfair System of Trade.” – President Donald Trump, defending his reciprocal tariff plan in a post on X Monday.

Analysts say it’s far from clear yet how the tariff system would affect ag exports.

For more news, go to www.Agri-Pulse.com.