WASHINGTON, May 6, 2013 – The recent announcement that the House leadership intends to take up a farm bill this summer is likely to spark discussion among lawmakers this week about what the legislation should look like and how to move it forward.
In a memo setting the summer agenda, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., told House Republicans Friday that they will consider a farm bill produced by the House Agriculture Committee and Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla.
The House Agriculture Committee is expected to mark-up a farm bill on May 15 and the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee is likely to move a bill sooner. Senate Agriculture Committee staff told some farm organization leaders last week that markup could start as soon as May 9, although no formal schedule has yet been announced.
Meanwhile, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is expected Wednesday to consider the nomination of Thomas E. Perez to serve as labor secretary.
Further, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is scheduled on Thursday to consider the nomination of Gina McCarthy to serve as EPA administrator.
Also on Wednesday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is scheduled to consider several bills related to hydropower.
The week’s events include:
Monday, May 6.
12:00 p.m. The House will meet for morning hour debate.
2:00 p.m. The Senate will convene for morning business.
2:00 p.m. The House will meet for legislative business.
4:00 p.m. USDA Report: Crop Progress
5:30 p.m. The Senate will hold votes in relation to the Marketplace Fairness Act (S. 743).
Tuesday, May 7.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will travel to Madison, Wis. to announce funds for major research initiatives to study the weather and climatic variability on beef and dairy cattle in Wisconsin.
9:30 a.m. The House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies will hold a budget hearing on the Bureau of Land Management in B-308 Rayburn. Neil Kornze, principal deputy director of the Bureau of Land Management, is the scheduled witness.
10:00 a.m. The House will meet for morning hour debate.
10:15 a.m. Senate Appropriations State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee meets to consider the fiscal year 2014 Budget Request for the United States Agency for International Development. Witness: Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator, United States Agency for International Development.
10:15 a.m. The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs will conduct a hearing on the nomination of the Honorable Fred. P. Hochberg to be President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States.
10:30 a.m. The Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Interior and Environment will hold a hearing on the FY 2014 budget request for the Interior Department in Dirksen 124. Scheduled witnesses include Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, Interior deputy secretary David Hayes, and Rhea Suh, assistant secretary of policy, management and budget at the Interior Department.
10:30 a.m. the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs will hold a hearing on “Border Security: Examining provisions in the border security, economic opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, S. 744, in SD-342.
12:00 p.m. The House will meet for legislative business.
4:00 p.m. USDA Report: Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin
4:00 p.m. USDA Report: Aquaculture Trade Data
4:00 p.m. The
Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health will start work on ADUFA
and AGDUFA, with opening statements for a markup on legislation reauthorizing H.R. 1407, a
bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to reauthorize user fee
programs relating to new animal drugs. The subcommittee will
reconvene at 9:00 a.m. May 8 to consider the legislation.
Wednesday, May 8.
9:00 a.m. The House will meet for legislative business and recess immediately.
10:00 a.m. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold an executive session in 430 Dirksen to consider the nomination of Thomas E. Perez to serve as labor secretary.
10:30 a.m. The House will convene in a joint session with the Senate to receive South Korean President Park Guen-hye.
11:30 a.m. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will mark-up several bills related to hydropower (S. 306, S. 545, H.R. 267, H.R. 678) in Dirksen 366.
1:00 p.m. The House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies will hold a budget hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency in 2359 Rayburn. Bob Perciasepe, acting EPA administrator, is the scheduled witness.
2:30 p.m. Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee will consider the fiscal year 2014 funding request for the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation.
2:30 p.m. The
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a
hearing on “The Role of Immigrants in America’s Innovation Economy.”
3:00 p.m. USDA Report: National Dairy Products Sales Report
3:00 p.m. USDA Report: Broiler Hatchery
Thursday, May 9.
8:30 a.m. USDA Report: U.S. Export Sales
9:00 a.m. The House will meet for legislative business.
9:15 a.m. The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold a business meeting in 406 Dirksen to consider the nomination of Gina McCarthy to serve as EPA administrator.
10:00 a.m. The Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Relate Agencies will hold a hearing on the FCY 2014 budget request for USDA in 124 Dirksen. Scheduled witnesses include Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Michael Young, USDA budget officer.
Friday, May 10.
12:00 p.m. USDA Report: World Agriculture Production
12:00 p.m. USDA Report: Oilseeds: World Markets and Trade
12:00 p.m. USDA Report: Grains: World Markets and Trade
12:00 p.m. USDA Report: Cotton: World Markets and Trade
12:00 p.m. USDA Report: Cotton, Grains, Oilseeds, and World Agricultural Production Data
12:00 p.m. USDA Report: WASDE
12:00 p.m. USDA Report: Crop Production
12:00 p.m. USDA Report: Cotton Ginnings – Ann.
3:00 p.m. USDA Report: Peanut Prices
4:00 p.m. USDA Report: Season Average Price Forecast
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